The Emirates FA Cup Final

27/05/2017

Emirates FA Cup Final

Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1

The Emirates FA Cup Final

Goals from Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez saw Arsenal defeat 10-man Chelsea to deny them the double in one of the most entertaining Emirates FA Cup Finals of recent times.

Sanchez set the tone for an all-action afternoon with the opening goal on four minutes and it looked as though that might land the Gunners a record 13th trophy, especially once the Blues had Victor Moses sent off.

The Gunners had also hit the post three times in the contest, but Diego Costa levelled the score with a deflected volley was the match moved into the final 15 minutes.

Parity was short-lived though, as Ramsey headed his third goal in the competition this season to ensure it would be Arsenal’s day.

Sanchez put the Gunners ahead when he played the ball into the box, the Chelsea defence stood flat-footed waiting for Ramsey to be adjudged offside, but the Welshman did not move to the ball and Sanchez was quickest to react, sprinting into the box before powering a half-volley beyond Thibaut Courtois.

With a spring in their step, Arsenal continued to control the opening exchanges and Sanchez blazed a 25-yard drive just clear of the crossbar.

They got even closer after 15 minutes when Sanchez slid a pass through to Mesut Ozil who lifted an angled effort over Courtois but Chelsea captain Gary Cahill sped back to flick the ball away from the goal-line and a waiting Danny Welbeck.

Welbeck then headed an Ozil corner onto the post and the rebound fell too quickly to Ramsey, with the loose ball bouncing off his chest, onto the same upright and wide of Courtois’s goal.

Chelsea, free-scoring in the Premier League all season on their way to winning the title, were being stifled by a brilliant Arsenal back-three, marshalled by Per Mertesacker making his first start since April 2016.

Sniffs at goal fell to Costa, who saw a snap-shot blocked by Rob Holding and another smothered away at close quarters by David Ospina, preferred to Petr Cech for the fourth time in the competition this term.

Pedro had Chelsea’s first clear sight of goal six minute before the interval, but shot harmlessly over the crossbar with only Ospina to beat.

The Blues were a shadow of the team we have seen this season in the opening 45 minutes but found their stride quickly after the interval, N’Golo Kante testing Ospina’s handling with a rising 20-yard effort.

Moses forced a fine save from Ospina, diving low to his right to parry away the Chelsea wing-back’s low strike across goal.

The Gunners soon got back into their stride though and the ball broke kindly for Hector Bellerin in space on the edge of the box after a marauding run from Danny Welbeck, the Spain international’s strike was well blocked by Courtois though.

With 68 minutes on the clock Moses picked up a second booking of the match, referee Anthony Taylor penalising the Nigeria international for simulation.

Just eight minutes later though the Blues drew level. Costa’s control on his chest took the ball away from Holding and his half-volley into the ground deflected beyond Ospina’s grasp.

In an instant, Arsenal regained the lead. Ozil looked like he might run the ball out of play, but managed to cross from the byeline and Ramsey was free inside the box to head into an unguarded net.

With four minutes remaining Costa powered his way into the box, but saw his volley brilliantly pushed away by Ospina.

In an extraordinary finale Arsenal had the chance to wrap things up through Ozil with three minutes left on the clock, but the Germany international hit the inside of the near post with Courtois beaten.

Arsenal: 13 David Ospina; 16 Rob Holding, 4 Per Mertesacker (capt), 18 Nacho Monreal; 24 Hector Bellerin, 8 Aaron Ramsey, 29 Granit Xhaka, 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; 7 Alexis Sanchez, 11 Mesut Ozil; 23 Danny Welbeck

Substitutes: 12 Olivier Giroud for Welbeck 78, 34 Francis Coquelin for Oxlade-Chamberlain 82, 35 Mohamed Elneny for Sanchez 90+3

Substitutes not used: 33 Petr Cech, 9 Lucas Perez, 14 Theo Walcott, 17 Alex Iwobi

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Goals: Sanchez 4, Ramsey 79

Yellow cards: Monreal 9, Holding 53, Xhaka 81, Coquelin 83

Chelsea: 13 Thibaut Courtois; 24 Gary Cahill (capt), 30 David Luiz, 28 Cesar Azpilicueta; 15 Victor Moses, 7 N’Golo Kante, 21 Nemanja Matic, 3 Marcos Alonso; 10 Eden Hazard, 11 Pedro; 19 Diego Costa

Substitutes: 4 Cesc Fabregas for Matic 61, 22 Willian for Pedro 72, 23 Michy Batshuayi for Costa 88

Substitutes not used: 1 Asmir Begovic, 5 Kurt Zouma, 6 Nathan Ake, 26 John Terry

Manager: Antonio Conte

Goals: Costa 76

Yellow cards: Moses 57, Kante 59

Red cards: Moses 68

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Attendance: 89,472