Lauren insists Arsenal's FA Cup final against Manchester United will not be marred by the controversy which has rocked past meetings between the pair.
The arch-rivals have a history of bust-ups and meet with both aiming to rescue their season's by winning the famous trophy.

Gunners defender Lauren told BBC Sport: "I think it is going to be a clean game on Saturday. Nothing controversial.

"It will be tough, strong and committed but not like we have seen in the past."

United ended Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten league run with a fiery 2-0 win at Old Trafford in October when there was the infamous 'pizza-throwing' incident in the tunnel after the game.

There was also a clash in the tunnel between Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira and United counterpart Roy Keane in the reverse fixture at Highbury in February when United triumphed 4-2.

The Red Devils also beat the Gunners in the FA Cup semi-final last season and they have been accused by the Arsenal camp of sometimes employing an over-physical approach to fixture.

Keane has already said he expects an "explosive" encounter while United manager Sir Alex ferguson expects a "feisty" final.

But, although Lauren has promised Arsenal will not abandon their free-flowing football, he says they will be ready for any roughing up tactics United may use at the Millennium Stadium.

"They know the way we play," he said. "We play good football but I think the team has learned when you have to play hard and put your foot in we will do it.

"We are prepared. You saw that against Blackburn in the quarter-final.

"They were kicking us all over the place and the team didn't get involved in that way. We have to be calm and play our normal style.

"We always play the same way and we will do that on Saturday but, of course, we have got players in the team who are strong in the challenge and will put their foot in.

"Sometimes you need that as well as the players who create and make the difference up front."

Lauren believes the way United ended Arsenal's record 49-game unbeaten run will prove an added incentive for an Arsenal side missing star striker Thierry Henry.

"It was disappointing because after such an amazing record it was difficult to bounce back in a good way," said the 28-year-old.

"It's like when you get knocked it takes time to come back again.

"It was a hard time but now it is gone and now we have the chance to beat them and lift the FA Cup."

He added: "I'm convinced if we play 100% we are going to win.

"The key is to play our game, keep passing the ball, not to concede any goals and we know we have got players in the team who can make the difference."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The oldest existing version of the FA Cup has become the world's most expensive piece of sporting memorabilia after being sold for a record £420,000.
The sale, at Christie's auction house in London smashed the previous record of £254,000 paid for the Jules Rimet World Cup in 1997.

An added premium took the actual price paid by the unnamed telephone bidder to £478,400, Christie's said.

The solid silver trophy was presented to winning teams between 1896 and 1910.

It was made as a replacement for the first cup, stolen from a shop window after Aston Villa won it a second time. I Its holders have included Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle, Everton and Spurs.

It ceased to be owned by the Football Association after the body realised it did not own the copyright when the holders Manchester United made a replica.

The obsolete cup was then given to Lord Kinnaird to mark his presidency of the FA for more than two decades.

The trophy, the only FA Cup to have come up for sale, was part of a memorabilia auction that also included Alan Ball's 1966 World Cup winners' medal.

It is thought to be the oldest FA Cup still in existence as the stolen original was likely to have been melted down.