FA Cup Final – The strangest showpiece

When Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in the 2020 FA Cup final, it felt surreal.

No fans.

No walk up Wembley’s famous steps.

No roaring red sea in the stands.

Instead, the trophy was lifted on the pitch in front of empty seats during the height of Covid restrictions — a historic moment wrapped in silence.

For 19-year-old Matt Smith, it was unforgettable.

A medal without a minute

Smith (front row, second right) with team-mates in Arsenal’s Wembley dressing room after victory over Chelsea

Smith — a lifelong Arsenal fan — was named on the bench after Mesut Ozil was left out by Mikel Arteta.

He didn’t step onto the pitch.

He didn’t touch the ball.

But he received a winners’ medal.

“At that age, you don’t realise how big it is,” he later reflected. “It’s only now I understand how special that day was.”

The oversized suit he wore to Wembley? Still part of the memory.

Pictionary with Arteta

One of the most fascinating insights from Smith’s time at Arsenal wasn’t tactical — it was cultural.

Arteta used Pictionary-style games in pre-match meetings.

Instead of passive tactical boards:

• Players drew opposition patterns

• Teammates guessed pressing triggers

• Discussions were interactive and competitive

It wasn’t gimmicky — it was cognitive engagement.

Arteta wanted brains switched on, communication flowing, camaraderie high.

It’s the type of marginal-gain detail that explains why Arsenal’s modern culture feels sharper and more unified than in previous eras.

The Odegaard gesture

Smith is in his third season with Wigan, who are in the League One relegation zone

On Smith’s final day at Arsenal, captain Martin Odegaard gave him:

• One of his captain’s armbands

• A shirt signed by the entire squad

A quiet but meaningful show of respect.

Smith describes Odegaard as “not the loudest, but someone who leads by example” — a detail that aligns with how the Norwegian is viewed internally.

From Academy Dream to Wigan Return

After 15 years at Arsenal, Smith left in 2023 and now plays for Wigan Athletic.

This weekend, he returns to Emirates Stadium — this time as an opponent in the FA Cup.

The boy who grew up with Cesc Fabregas posters.

The teenager who trained with first-team stars.

The substitute with a winners’ medal.

Now stepping out in front of 60,000 fans against his boyhood club.

Arteta’s advice that stuck

Smith walks out at Arsenal’s training ground with Martin Odegaard in 2022

Before he left, Arteta told him something simple but powerful:

“People will tell you your weaknesses.

Make your strengths your super-strengths.”

It’s advice that fits Arsenal’s current identity too.

Develop what you do well.

Double down on it.

Refine it relentlessly.

And the medal?

Smith tackles AC Milan’s Brahim Diaz during a friendly in Dubai in 2022

It’s at his parents’ house.

He doesn’t look at it often.

“Plenty of time for that when I retire,” he says.

For now, he’s still writing his story — returning to the stadium where it all began, carrying memories of a silent Wembley and a medal earned without a minute played.