LONDON -- Arsene Wenger said Arsenal's suffering over the last nine years meant the relief and joy was greater after they ended their long wait for silverware.
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caption:Arsene Wenger lifted a trophy for the first time in nine years after winning the FA Cup on Saturday.
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The Frenchman's side came from 2-0 down to beat Hull 3-2 -- courtesy of goals from Santi Cazorla, Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey -- and win the FA Cup.
It was the fifth time Wenger has triumphed in the competition but Arsenal's first trophy since 2005.
And the manager, who again said he will stay at Arsenal, stated in a news conference: "It is a relief and happiness because we were under severe pressure to win and we didn't start well. We responded well after a demonstration of how not to start a cup final.
"In the end it finished well so it is a big minute of happiness and we waited a long time for that. The happiness is linked sometimes with the suffering and the time you have to wait."
Wenger was also an FA Cup winner in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005, but he said the need to finally secure more silverware made this his most significant final.
"It was more important than all the others," he added. "We have made twice the double but we were not under the pressure we were under. It was an important moment in the life of this team. To lose today would have been a major setback. To win is a good platform to come back stronger next year."
Wenger drew level with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, also a five-time winner, and he said: "I am in good company. I won now five times, it is not too bad."
The 64-year-old is out of contract in the summer but reiterated that he expects to sign a new deal.
"Look, that normally should happen, yes," he said. "We are in very normal circumstances now. It was never a question of leaving, it was a question of doing the right job for this squad."