There was something bordering enthusiasm inside the Arsenal dressing room during the hour before one of the iconic nights in Manchester United’s history. Steve McClaren handed in the team sheet. Up it went on Villa Park’s tunnel wall. No Ryan Giggs. One of five rested by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Arsenal’s players were approaching Lee Dixon, actively proclaiming how fortunate he was to be dealing with Jesper Blomqvist rather than snakehips Giggs. Little did they know what was to follow.
Dixon, for his part, was anxious, aware that should United require a route back into the FA Cup semi-final replay – the last ever fought – he was in for a tough evening with heavy legs.
Giggs would end the night barechested, racing down the Villa Park touchline swirling United’s white away shirt over his head after scoring one of the most memorable goals of our time.
A mazy run, with purpose and devil, pouncing on Patrick Vieira’s tired, loose, extra-time crossfield pass. And then the eventual strike’s sheer explosion, high into the roof of David Seaman’s net.
The fear Giggs struck had seen Arsenal’s back line pedal and jockey for so long, the sheer dread of his pace seeing them end up in nonsensical body positions, that the winger had travelled around 70 yards and weaved around them by the time he let fly.
United’s supporters spilled on to the pitch with a sense of spontaneous euphoria that is not quite so prevalent these days for a number of reasons. Giggs was not booked for removing his shirt. Funny, really, that the Welshman – on as a 62nd-minute substitute - looks back and admits he was having a ‘nightmare’ up until that point.
‘I don’t know where the celebration came from,’ Giggs, who had actually continued his jinking when fans encroached onto the turf, said. ‘I haven’t got a clue. It was one of those out-of-body experiences. Would I do it again? Probably not.’
It was a night to savour and the report in the Manchester Evening News implored supporters to keep hold of their matchday programmes. ‘This is one of those occasions that will never be forgotten. You will want to prove that you were there,’ Stuart Mathieson wrote. Mathieson, forever a discerning voice in the city, was proven absolutely correct.
Dixon and Tony Adams eventually waited outside the dressing rooms – where many of them had been so confident earlier – to congratulate United after full-time. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Arsenal, who were gunning for consecutive Doubles, would have gone on to win the Premier League title had the replay panned out differently.
This was a story of United’s inner strength, instilled by Ferguson, and undoubtedly sparked the momentous Treble. At 1-1, after Dennis Bergkamp had cancelled out David Beckham’s opener, Roy Keane saw red. A second yellow for hacking down Marc Overmars with 16 minutes to play.
United were holding on with relative ease, extra-time appearing increasingly likely, until Phil Neville tripped Ray Parlour inside the box. With no time left on the clock, Bergkamp – who had missed three of his last five penalties – failed again from the spot.
Well, Peter Schmeichel succeeded, sprawling to his right and beating the effort away. The outpouring, the hand waving, acted as a surge. Beckham ran over to revel with the Dane but the goalkeeper shoved him away.
Schmeichel went on to complete another fine stop from Bergkamp in extra-time. United were out on their feet, somehow summoning the energy to go on. So too was David Elleray, whose back was seizing up. Schmeichel again saved, this time on his line, and 11 minutes later Giggs was setting off on that run.
‘It was the only time in a football match where I ever smiled when I was playing,’ Gary Neville said this week.
‘That is the only time I have done that in a pressure moment. It was enjoyable as well as exciting.
‘Peter Schmeichel had done his thigh in so I was taking the goal kicks. I walked towards the fans to take one and smiled thinking, “This is unbelievable, this”. You know when you just feel, “This is something special”.’
