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Wenger eyeing FA Cup as Arsenal's drought-breaker

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is targeting this year's FA Cup.

The Gunners meet Everton in the quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and the Frenchman feels it can be the trophy which breaks the north London club's nine-year drought.

Arsenal last lifted silverware in 2005 when they beat Manchester United on penalties in the FA Cup final in Cardiff and now Wenger is determined to put a stop to that run of outs.

"Well, we always take the competition seriously," he told Arsenal's official website.

"You are always aware that you can go out, but you also know that the first step in the competition is very important. You need a special focus to get really into the competition.

"Once you are in it, past the first game, you work to stay in it, but that first step can sometimes be the most dangerous one.

"I have been lucky enough to win it four times, but unfortunately we haven't won it for a long time now, so in fact I'm even more focused to do well in this competition.

"I would love the club to win the FA Cup again. Unfortunately sometimes the scheduling clashes with the Champions League.

"For example last season we had Blackburn at home in the FA Cup just before playing Bayern at home in the Champions League, so it was difficult to focus the attention completely on the Blackburn game.

"Hopefully we have learnt from that though, and this year we won't be distracted."

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Andrew Slevison
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