Saturday 27 May 2017
Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1
Sanchez 4', Ramsey 79', Costa 76'
Arsenal saved their best until last. They entered Saturday's FA Cup final as underdogs and their opponents Chelsea were hotly tipped to complete a domestic double, winning both the league and cup. But as that historic warning goes, football matches aren't played on paper. It's about who turns up on the day, and in that respect, only the team in red and white actually did.
As the afternoon wore on, there were a few indicators that made me feel like the day would be a good one. Seeing Tomas Rosicky in the player's tunnel greeting all his former teammates and friends was one of them. When young defender Rob Holding tangled with Chelsea's pantomime villain Diego Costa early in the game, and began gesturing at Costa by pointing at his head, you could see Holding was up for the battle and wasn't going to let the Spanish forward's notorious antics affect him. And finally, when Alexis Sanchez flung himself at a Chelsea clearance, handling the ball in the process, then bypassed an offside Aaron Ramsey to coolly finish past Thibaut Courtois to give Arsenal an extremely contentious 1-0 lead, I just knew it had to be our day. How often does a string of decisions like that go in Arsenal's favour? Chelsea fans were outraged, and had good reason to be, but this made it all the sweeter for me.
After Saturday's decisive victory, Arsenal have won the trophy a record 13 times, putting themselves back on top as the most successful team in the competition. Arsene Wenger is now the most successful manager in the competition's 146 year history, winning the cup 7 times. He's won it as many times in his career as Chelsea and Liverpool have in their entire history. It's an understatement to say that that's a pretty impressive achievement.
Here are my player ratings for the game:
David Ospina (GK) - 7/10
I gotta admit, I had my doubts. He's been perfectly fine as the cup keeper this season, and was quite good against Manchester City, but I just got it into my head that Petr Cech would start in the biggest game of the season. Credit must go to Ospina though, he put in a solid performance and made some huge saves. He denied Costa twice and both were at crucial stages in the game, as well as making great saves against Victor Moses and a tricky N'golo Kante drive that deflected. I thought he could have done better for their goal, as he did get a hand to it, but the small deflection definitely affected him, as he'd shifted his feet and body weight to the left in anticipation. Overall, he played extremely well and was deserving of his starting spot.
Rob Holding (CB) - 9/10
Exactly one year ago, what was the young Englishman doing? He had just been relegated to League One with an awful Bolton Wanderers team, on which he was the only shining light, winning their player of the season award. He was still nearly 2 months shy of signing for Arsenal. Now look how far he's come in just 12 months, winning the first major domestic honour of his career. Over the past couple of months Holding became an integral cog in Wenger's new 3-4-3 formation. His performance in the final was outstanding, shackling Diego Costa for much of the game and refusing to be bullied by him. All at just 21 years-old. He's got future captain material written all over him.
Per Mertesacker (CB) - 10/10
O Captain! My Captain! Mertesacker made his first Arsenal start since 30 April 2016 but didn't show any signs of rust, and arguably put in the best performance of his Arsenal career. He was an absolute rock in the centre of defence, and his leadership qualities shone through in a faultless display. The BFG needs a statue outside the stadium. NOW. Perfection.
Nacho Monreal (CB) - 8/10
Monreal worked in partnership with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to nullify Chelsea's attack down the left all afternoon. Despite not being a natural centre back, Monreal didn't shy away from the task at hand, as many players may have against the Premier League champions. He hardly put a foot wrong and was his usual tenacious self, working well with Mertesacker to marshal the back line.
Hector Bellerin (RWB) - 7/10
The young Spaniard got the nod ahead of Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right flank and kept his opposite number Marcus Alonso quiet all day. Bellerin was absolutely tireless and kept pushing until the final whistle. He was unlucky not to score towards the end of the match, when he sprinted the length of the field, skinning the hapless David Luiz in the process, and narrowly missed scoring in the bottom corner. How should he celebrate winning the cup? A trip to the barbers!
Aaron Ramsey (CM) - 9/10
The guy just loves an FA Cup final. Imperious in midfield against quality opposition in Nemanja Matic and Kante, and later Cesc Fabregas, Ramsey showed all of them how to play a complete game, a true box-to-box midfielder. Disciplined in defence and assured in attack, he was absolutely everywhere. When he popped up to meet Olivier Giroud's cross and nod home what would prove to be the winner, well I'm sure you, like me, went wild in celebration. The Welshman is making a habit of this trophy-winning-goalscorer lark.
Granit Xhaka (CM) - 8/10
He sure picked an opportune day to have his best game in the Arsenal red and white. Up against Kante, a midfielder most critics and fans would have preferred Arsenal had purchased instead last summer, Xhaka showed his true quality and left his French counterpart in his shadow. He was largely mistake-free and showed off his impressive range of passing skills, and I was amazed at his discipline defensively; gone was that reckless abandon he usually exhibits in his tackles, and instead was a composed, confident, and thoughtful midfield general. More of the same next season please Granit!
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (LWB) - 7/10
With Kieran Gibbs missing out due to injury, the Ox was called on to man the left flank, a position he's unaccustomed to. Nevertheless, Alex didn't balk at his new responsibilities, and put in a fantastic showing defensively. He didn't get forward as often as he'd probably have liked but I can't fault him for prioritizing his defensive duties, especially considering who he had to protect in the centre. Moses kept testing Oxlade-Chamberlain up until his eventual sending off, and the Englishman never wilted. A fine way to cap off what's been a great season for the 23 year-old.
Mesut Ozil (AM) - 7/10
It's been said time and time again, but the German superstar really does divide opinion, and no more so was that evident than this FA Cup final. I've seen quite a few reports that Ozil ran the show on Saturday but honestly, I didn't see it. He had some great opportunities to kill Chelsea off but he couldn't deliver. Yes, his passing was usually accurate as we've come expect, and his off-the-ball movement does set him apart from his peers, but I didn't feel any of his output was particularly incisive. I can't knock him too much but I still get frustrated by his overall style of play. Maybe I'm too hard on him, but when you're the club's record signing, very big things are expected and I'll admit that has got to be difficult for anyone.
Alexis Sanchez (AM) - 9/10
The Chilean wasn't my choice for man of the match but he was obviously still one of the best players on the park. His goal to open the game was clinically taken (always play to the whistle kids) and even if it was fortuitous, he still showed the will and desire to chase what a few players would have judged as a lost cause. His pass into Giroud to create the second goal was sublime as well. Sanchez was a menace all game, drifting in off the left flank, and you could tell Chelsea were scared of him. If it does turn out to be that Saturday was his final Arsenal game, then what a way to go out.
Danny Welbeck (ST) - 8/10
I had a feeling Wenger would opt for the Englishman over Giroud, purely for the extra level of danger his movement and pace can cause defences. His constant running and pressing really upset Chelsea's rhythm and he was at the heart of some of our best moves. Welbeck was so unlucky not to score with a header that clipped the post in the first half. His aim for next season should be to stay fit and work on his finishing, as he's so close to being an incredible centre forward for us. He's already a fan favourite.
Substitutes:
Olivier Giroud - 8/10
First touch of the game and he sets up the winner. What more can you ask for? An impact sub for the ages.
Francis Coquelin - 6/10
Booked almost as soon as he got on the pitch and had the audacity to perform stepovers in Chelsea's corner. After that moment of madness he settled and helped see out the game.
Mohamed Elneny - N/A
The Egyptian didn't get much time but it was nice to see him make an appearance.
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And now, reports today indicate that Saturday was not to be Arsene Wenger's swansong after all. According to various sources, Wenger will not be standing down as manager as some had predicted, and he has agreed on a 2-year contract which is likely to be announced officially by the club on Wednesday. Did you really think he was going to walk away? I'm honestly not surprised but I'm not unhappy either. I still believe the team could do with a fresh approach, because one trophy doesn't erase the last couple of years of staleness. Once he signs on the dotted line, the club and it's fans need to get back to supporting the team. Enough of this bullshit with flying planes and stadium protests directed at the manager. If you're gonna get angry, then by all means aim your vitriol at our silent owner, the one in the dodgy suit. However, I do hope that Wenger has taken note of all that has happened this season and vows for it not to continue. If he can get this team to play every game with the kind of spirit and intelligence they displayed on Saturday, then we'll be going in the right direction. I think, for me, that's all we can ask for.
