Arsenal progress to FA Cup Final after beating Orient 3-0.

On 8 April 1978, Arsenal cruised into the FA Cup Final after thrashing Leyton Orient 3-0 in a one-sided affair played at the Stamford Bridge. England international Malcom MacDonald opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a composed finish before adding a second four minutes later.

From there onwards the game seemed to have lowered in tempo as Arsenal weren’t eager to score more goals while their fellow Londoners were playing it safe to avoid an embarrassing exit. The Gunners however put the game to rest and wrapped up the win courtesy of a strike by Graham Rix midway through the second half.

Neill Terry’s side were to meet the other semi-final winners, Ipswich Town, that hammered West Bromwich Albion 3-1 in an action-packed match played at a sold out Highbury in London on the same day.

Regrettably, Arsenal’s hopes of lifting the FA Cup for the fifth time were thwarted by a Roger Osborne goal scored in the 77th minute. In a twist of events, Osborne was substituted after fainting due to his celebration on scoring the winner. The Tractor boys managed to hang on for dear life thus lifting the FA Cup for the very first time.

The Gunners however managed to bounce back the following season after a 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Manchester United in an entertaining Final at Wembley. The fifth FA Cup title didn’t take that long after all…