FA Cup memoriesWhen Michael Owen won the cup 'all by himself' on way to treble
"He has won the cup for Liverpool all by himself."
That was Clive Tyldesley's commentary as Michael Owen wheeled away to celebrate his winner in the 2001 FA Cup final against Arsenal.
Though football is a team game, Tyldesley was more than fair, given 21-year-old Owen's impact on that baking hot day in Cardiff.
Gerard Houllier's Reds were second-best at Millennium Stadium – the first FA Cup final to be held there while the new Wembley was built – but were saved by magic from the 2001 Ballon d'Or winner.
"If I could relive one day from my career, the FA Cup final of 2001 would be it," Owen would declare two decades later.
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Watch on YouTubeLiverpool's treble dreams appeared to be evaporating in the Welsh heat when Freddie Ljungberg gave the Gunners a deserved lead with 18 minutes remaining.
Damage could have been inflicted earlier, too, had it not been for Sami Hyypia's series of goalline clearances and a lucky escape when a penalty wasn't awarded for Stephane Henchoz handling.
Nevertheless, the Reds remained within touching distance of their opponents and stunned them with a five-minute salvo to snatch the prize out of their grasp.
It was 1-1 when Owen thrashed home in the aftermath of a free-kick, setting the stage for his 88th-minute decider.
Patrik Berger sent a ball over the top for Owen to chase. Two touches later, the ball was past David Seaman in the Arsenal goal and the No.10 was somersaulting.
"It was very late, but better late than never," Owen offered post-match. Gary McAllister added: "When you've got Michael Owen in your team, that's what can happen."
Time for celebrations was limited. Just four days later, Liverpool were in Dortmund beating Alaves in the UEFA Cup final to clinch an historic treble.
Route to the final
Third round: Liverpool 3-0 Rotherham United
Fourth round: Leeds United 0-2 Liverpool
Fifth round: Liverpool 4-2 Manchester City
Quarter-final: Tranmere Rovers 2-4 Liverpool
Semi-final: Liverpool 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers
FA Cup top scorers
Emile Heskey – 5
Michael Owen – 3
Robbie Fowler – 2
Steven Gerrard, Danny Murphy, Nicky Barmby, Vladimir Smicer, Markus Babbel, Dietmar Hamann, Jari Litmanen – 1
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.