How big was the decision to leave Bergkamp out of the 1998 FA Cup final?

Every now and then a manager has to make a huge call, whether that is changing his tactics to go for a result or subbing off a player that has been playing well for the sake of a game but does Arsene Wenger’s decision to drop star striker Dennis Bergkamp rank as one of the biggest call that a manager has made?

The 1998 season was one of frustration for the Dutchman as he struggled to find his goalscoring form but the FA Cup provided Arsenal with the chance to win the double for the second time in the club's history. This would surely mean that all the star players would play in what was Arsene Wenger’s first FA Cup final.

Bergkamp was Arsenal’s hero in the fifth round replay against Crystal Palace as he scored one of the two goals that saw Arsenal face West Ham United in the sixth round and yet again a replay was needed after a Bergkamp penalty cancelled out a goal by Frank Lampard. So the Dutchman was proving his importance.   

So it came as a surprise that Dennis Bergkamp was dropped for the final. Arsenal went on to win the final 2-0 against Newcastle. So the gamble was not that big becuase they won but if they lost it could have been huge. It is still considered one of Arsene Wenger’s biggest gambles during his tenure.