Arsenal 1 Southampton 0
Arsenal retained the FA Cup the won last year with victory over gallant Southampton in an incident packed final at the Millennium Stadium.
Arsenal took the lead late in the first half through Robert Pires before withstanding an energetic second-half fightback by Southampton.
Arsenal should have made a flying start immediately from the kick-off.
After just 20 seconds Freddie Ljungberg released Thierry Henry and the Frenchman burst through the Saints defence, evading a desperate challenge by Claus Lundekvam, only to be denied by the legs of at Antti Niemi from a glorious position.
The deadlock was nearly broken again in the ninth minute, when Henry turned Wayne Bridge and fired in a shot which Niemi could only parry into the path of Dennis Bergkamp.
The Dutchman rounded the goalkeeper and from a tight angle prodded the ball goalwards, but youngster Chris Baird was in the right place at the right time to clear off the line.
The 21 year old was making only his second start for Southampton.
Henry spurned his third chance of the opening spell in the 11th minute when a superb Bergkamp ball set him through on goal, but shot straight Niemi.
Southampton were growing in confidence though and a Matt Oakley long throw caused havoc in the Arsenal box before Michael Svensson lashed the ball high and wide.
An Oakley corner in the 19th minute was comfortably cleared but the ball fell to Baird, who curled a shot towards the far corner, forcing David Seaman to scramble across his goal and save at the second attempt.
Beattie had the ball in the net in the 21st minute but he was half a yard offside from Brett Ormerod's pass and his effort did not count.
Martin Keown, who passed a late fitness test on a thigh problem, became the first booking just before the half hour when he clattered into Ormerod on the touchline. Beattie followed seconds later for a high challenge on Oleg Luzhny.
Robert Pires made breakthrough came after 38 minutes. Henry flicked the ball through to an on-rushing Bergkamp, who crossed for Ljungberg to tee up Pires, who buried his shot beyond Niemi.
Just a minute later Henry again opened up the Southampton defence, pulling the ball back for Pires, who this time could not keep his shot down.
Three minutes before the interval, Henry released Bergkamp again but his shot was stopped on the line by Baird with Southampton frantically scrambling the ball clear.
Bergkamp came agonisingly close to doubling Arsenal's lead early in the second half when he cleverly created space for a shot only for Niemi to palm the effort away. The ball went only as far as Ljungberg though and he fired into the sidenetting.
In the 56th minute Paul Telfer saw his header from Oakley's corner drift just over the crossbar before Henry broke forward and saw his low, curling shot tipped behind by Niemi.
As the hour mark approached, Beattie's header was saved by Seaman while Telfer was booked for a challenge on Pires.
Niemi fell to the floor in agony in the 63rd minute, clutching his right leg after a kick clear and he was replaced by Paul Jones.
Henry blotted his copybook in the 68th minute with an extravagant dive in the penalty area which earned him a booking.
Jo Tessem, on as a 74th-minute substitute for Anders Svensson, almost netted with his first touch. He met Telfer's cross at the far post but fired into the ground and the ball was cleared.
Bergkamp was replaced by Sylvain Wiltord in the 77th minute and Henry could have put the game out of Southampton's reach three minutes later, beating Lundekvam before slicing wide.
Ormerod thought he had equalised with seven minutes remaining only for Seaman - as he did in the semi-final - to make a stunning point-blank save.
Baird's day ended when he was replaced by Fabrice Fernandes in the 87th minute but Henry would have scored had Jones not tipped away his deflected effort while Michael Svensson was booked in stoppage time.
Beattie's header was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole but Arsenal held on though to become the first side to retain the FA Cup since north London rivals Tottenham 21 years ago.