ARSENAL 2 CHELSEA 1

BY AYODELE ODUMADE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM

Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 to win the FA Cup for a record 13^th time and stopped the West Londoners from doing the double. Arsene Wenger also became the first manager to win 7 FA Cups. Not many people gave the Gunners a chance especially with their first choice centre backs out due to injury.  Arsene Wenger yet again has had the last word in a difficult season. If only he had switched to 3 at the back earlier on in the season who knows if they may have made it into the Champions League next season.  

This was a masterpiece from Arsene Wenger as his team played Chelsea off the park and thoroughly deserved to win.  Most pundits had written Arsenal off but so did they against Manchester City in the semi final.

The game was only four minutes old when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played a through ball to Alexis Sanchez. Although Aaron Ramsey was in an offside position he was not interfering with play as Sanchez slotted the ball home. The Assistant referee gave offside, but he was overruled by Anthony Taylor who gave a goal. The Chelsea players protested but it was in vain.

Arsenal were in the ascendancy and came close to getting a second goal as Oxlade-Chamberlain hit a shot, which was cleared off the line by Gary Cahill.   Moments later from a Mesut Ozil corner, Danny Welbeck hit the upright with a header and Ramsey could not follow up.

Just before the half hour mark Danny Welbeck should have doubled the Gunners lead as he toe poked the ball past Courtois but Cahill cleared the ball off the line. Arsenal were relentless. Next up it was Granit Xhaka who let fly from distance and Thibaut Courtois tipped the ball round the post for a corner.  Arsenal went in a goal up at the break.  They probably should have been at least 2 goals up. One wandered whether those misses might come back to bite them in the second half.

In the second half Ngolo Kante hit a shot from distance but David Ospina comfortably gathered the ball. Victor Moses hit a shot from close range but Ospina was up to the task as he saved the shot and it was cleared. Chelsea were a lot better than they were in the first half and began to show why they are the Premier League champions.

With an hour gone Antonio Conte sent Cesc Fabregas on to replace Nemanja Matic.  Arsenal continued to hold firm though and threatened Chelsea on the break. Hector Bellerin forced Courtois to make another save in the 65^th minute with a shot, which did not have enough power on it.

Chelsea suffered a further setback as Victor Moses was shown a second yellow card and red for simulation when he collided with Oxlade-Chamberlain.

With 15 minutes of the game left a ball was played over the top to Diego Costa who chested it and lost Rob Holding in the process before slotting the ball past Ospina who probably should have done better.  Within three minutes Olivier Giroud who replaced Welbeck broke down the left and put a cross in the area where Ramsey who was left on his own headed it past Courtois to restore Arsenal’s lead.

With 7 minutes of the game remaining Bellerin went on a run on the right forced his way into the Chelsea area and shot just wide. Ospina was called into action as he made a point blank save from Costa. A minute later Ozil went down the other end and hit the post. Arsenal saw out the game and the Arsenal fans celebrated.

Chelsea lost not because they did not turn up but because Arsenal did not allow them to turn up. Xhaka was a warrior and he missed nothing in midfield. Per Mertasacker who was playing his first game of the season was majestic at the back and read the game well. Both teams will meet again next season in the curtain raiser at Wembley.