Alan Smith spoke about a blast from the past that Arsenal will try to replicate on Saturday afternoon, May 30.
The Gunners go to Budapest for the second Champions League final in their history, and they will try to topple reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, who beat them in the semi-final last year.
· ‘I wouldn't call it a smash-and-grab, but it wasn't far off’
Smith, a former striker for the North London club, was part of the squad that last lifted a major title in Europe: the Cup Winners Cup from 1994. On the way, the team encountered the Parisians in a two-legged semi-final, and they took away a 1-1 draw from their trip to the French capital.
“They were a strong team, obviously not regarded how they’re regarded now but they had players like David Ginola and George Weah - he was a big star. I think that it was a fairly tight one because with our defensive record we were a tough nut to crack. We’d had a good run in the competition and had knocked seven past Standard Liege over at their place so I think it was fairly even.
“Going over to Paris was seen as a tough tie which it was, I enjoyed it. It was a ground I hadn’t played at before, a full house, a great atmosphere and the PSG fans have always been really vocal. You train on the pitch the night before but it just feels so different when you go out for the warm-up and the fans are all there, so I think we were all excited.
“We’d gone 1-0 up with an Ian Wright header. At half-time, the man on the sound system put on the Pet Shop Boys’ “Go West” and our fans started singing “One-nil to The Arsenal ,” and that was born. We were so strong defensively that whenever we got ahead, we'd be disappointed if we didn't win.
“[ David Ginola ] had a bit of a run-in with both Bouldy and Tony all match; a bit of banter was exchanged! When he scored he gave them a bit back with his celebration, so the lads were laughing about that afterwards! When the dust settled, we thought the draw was a good result.”
In the return leg, Kevin Campbell came up with the goods, burying the third headed goal of the tie. With that win, a contest against Parma was booked, and the rest was history on the way to the crown.
“We played 4-3-3 in those days in Europe - I played through the middle and then it was two from Kevin, Merse and Wrighty. Merse dropped out, Kev stepped in and did a brilliant job.
“It was one of those chances that comes to you quickly and you probably don't have time to decide what you want to do with it. It’s an instinctive little twist to the body and the head. It’s not just trying to get it on target, you're trying to find the corner, so it was a brilliant take.
“I wouldn't imagine they got too many headers in his career - Kev was better known for bursting through and finishing with his feet but that was a really good header.
“That was a classic case of one-nil to The Arsenal! We got away with a few situations and ran our luck a little bit, but it was enough in the end. I think Tony Adams says that the defence was probably at its peak at that time because they'd got the maturity alongside a great ability to defend and togetherness. It was just about enough - I wouldn't call it a smash-and-grab but it wasn't far off.
“It was great in the dressing room afterwards, the champagne was out and I was so pleased for Kev. We’d seen him come up from the youth team and make a name for himself. You look back on moments like that and realise how special they are, so it's lovely to have a photo like that to remember it by. You can see on his face how delighted he is."