consolation scored by Wycombe's captain Keith Ryan ensured Liverpool won 2–1 and earnt a place in the final. Pre-match Stadium changes In October 2000, Wembley Stadium, the final's traditional venue, was closed in anticipation of major redevelopment. Having considered alternative venues such as Twickenham, Murrayfield and Villa Park, the FA announced in January 2001 that the next three Cup finals would be staged at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. This therefore marked the first time the showpiece event was held outside England. In the lead-up to the final, FA chief executive Adam Crozier acknowledged concerns over transport and the quality of the pitch, saying, "We've done a lot of work with Cardiff and hopefully it will be a great occasion, but we'll take a view about how it's worked after the final and decide whether to still hold the match there." A new pitch was re-laid in May, and the police made attempts to ease traffic on the M4 by opening three more turn-offs than they did for the League Cup final. The finalists received a total allocation of approximately 52,000 tickets, which was an estimated increase of 10% on previous Wembley finals. Seat prices for the final exceeded £70, though some ticket touts charged as much as £1,000. The cheapest tickets cost £20; the rest were priced at £40 and £55. Build-up Arsenal were appearing in the final of the FA Cup for the 14th time, their first in over three years. They had won the cup seven times previously (in 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993 and 1998) and were beaten in the final six times. By comparison, Liverpool were making their 12th appearance in a FA Cup final. The club won the cup five times (in 1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992) and lost six finals, most recent of which against Manchester United in 1996. Arsenal and Liverpool had previously met thirteen times in the FA Cup, including four replays. Arsenal had a slender advantage in those meetings, winning five times to Liverpool's four. Both clubs were involved in the longest ever semi-final in FA Cup history in 1980, which required three replays after the original tie ended goalless. Brian Talbot's goal at Highfield Road earnt Arsenal a 1–0 victory. The last meeting between the two teams had been in the Premier League on 23 December 2000. Liverpool recorded a 4–0 win at Anfield, their third-straight victory in all competitions.