had crossed the line. In the quarter final against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal initially went down by a goal but an equaliser came from Billy Blyth after a further 15 minutes. Both teams had good attacks on goal throughout the rest of the game, but the only further goal came from a header by Hulme for Arsenal after a run and a cross from Jack Butler. The draw for the semi-final saw Arsenal play Southampton at Stamford Bridge. The muddy state of the pitch hampered the pace of the play shown by Arsenal, but both Buchan and Hulme scored for The Gunners to Southampton's single response by Bill Rawlings. Southampton were denied two penalty appeals. Pre-match Cardiff City had previously reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup twice, and two years earlier in 1925, they were defeated in the final. Arsenal had never reached a final previously so whoever won would take the trophy for the first time. Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman held a press conference on 21 April where he announced that Horace Cope was injured and would be unable to play at left back. He doubted whether Syd Hoar or Alf Baker would be available as both were still recovering from injury, and so he was leaving the selections for both the right half and outside left positions open should they become fit before the game. He saw Bill Seddon and Sam Haden as the alternatives should his first choice players not recover. When asked about who would win the game, he promised the press an answer after the match. Both Baker and Hoar were eventually named in the Arsenal team. The side trained at the Arsenal Stadium on their own pitch before the final. The players met at Hendon Hall Hotel on the morning of the match but their travel plans were disrupted when they became stuck in heavy traffic. Manager Herbert Chapman was forced to leave the coach to telephone local police for an escort; two motorcycle officers arrived to escort the team to the ground. Cardiff City prepared for the final at Southport, Lancashire, at the Palace Hotel where the squad had stayed ahead of previous rounds. The players kept relaxed with massages, games of bowls and salt baths. On the day before the match, they travelled to Harrow on the Hill where they stayed at the Kings Head Hotel. They were open with the press