FA Cup Final, Arsenal vs Chelsea Highlights: Arsenal have now won the FA Cup a record 14 times.
FA Cup Final, Arsenal vs Chelsea Highlights: Arsenal turned out to be victorious against an injury-plagued ten-man Chelsea on Saturday at the Wembley Stadium to lift the FA Cup for a record 14th time.
Arsenal defeated their city rivals 2-1 after going down in the fifth minute itself. After Christian Pulisic scored from inside the box, Arsenal woke up from their slumber and equalised just before the half-hour mark through a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty. Chelsea soon lost their captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Christian Pulisic to injuries, and they conceded the eventual winner as Aubameyang doubled his tally with a deft left-footed chip over Willy Caballero. Later on, Mateo Kovacic was shown a second yellow for a tackle on Granit Xhaka.
Mikel Arteta won his first managerial trophy and helped Arsenal qualify for next season’s UEFA Europa League too.
FINAL WHISTLE! Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea. Finally. After an endless injury time with two players getting injured and a bombardment of multiple crosses, the final finally comes to an end. Chelsea ended the second half with zero shots on target and a man down, while Arsenal ended it with their 14th FA Cup trophy, renewed hope, and a belief in the new manager. Even after finishing 8th in the league, they have managed to win some silverware here... their seventh consecutive FA Cup final win.
SEVEN minutes (7) added on. Not over yet! Pedro nearly, nearly feeds Tammy Abraham down the middle but it's just overhit...
Emiliano Martinez comes way out to gather the ball and there are shouts of handling the ball outside the box. The referee says nothing doing. Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah replaces Lacazette.
After an altercation on the sidelines, both Rudiger and Arteta are booked. It's all getting heated at the Wembley now. Meanwhile, Chelsea have brought on Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley and Callum Hudson-Odoi in place of Giroud, Mount and Rudiger.
From bad to worse for Chelsea as Kovacic is shown the second yellow after a late tackle on Arsenal's Xhaka.
WHAT A FINISH! Arsenal have sunk the growing hopes of their blue rivals through a brilliant Aubameyang goal. A long ball founds its way to Pepe on the left wing after a Christensen tackle, and the Ivorian finds the striker... who dupes Zouma with an outside cut and chips Caballero with his left foot. Lead.
Chelsea have really upped their tempo and Jorginho is spraying passes left, right and centre. Mount looks more lively and his constant runs in behind the defence is troubling the Arsenal defence now. Still, not a single threatening shot for Martinez to handle.
Apart from Pulisic's unfortunate injury and some wayward through balls, it has been a rather slow and drab second half so far. Chelsea kept a lot of the ball in between their two centre-backs, but they still look way off from scoring a goal. Arsenal had a chance through Aubameyang but it came to no avail. All pressing, no end result. All to play for in the final 30 minutes.
After a woeful finish to the first half, Chelsea have started the second half on a worse note. Pulisic receives the ball and as soon as he shoots from inside the box, the youngster pulls his hamstring. Pedro comes on for him.
Although Chelsea started the final with quite some swagger, they have ended it with a stutter. Arsenal took control of the game in the final thirty minutes and Arteta's men haven't left the grip at all. Be it in midfield or in attack, they have maintained the pressure and the control. But it's still 1-1. All to play for in the next 45 minutes and Arsenal go into the break with the momentum.
Few minutes back, Mason Mount carved open the opposition with a cut back, but Jorginho's finishing let him down there. Apart from that one chance, Chelsea haven't had an attempt in the past twenty minutes or so. It's all Arsenal here at Wembley.
Cesar Azpilicueta has gone down and it looks like a pulled muscle. The Chelsea captain committed the foul inside the box and now he's in pain. Not a good few minutes for the Spaniard. Andreas Christensen replaces Azpilicueta as he leaves the field in tears.
ARSENAL LEVEL! What a confident penalty from the Gabonese forward. He takes a deep breath and he fires it to the bottom right hand corner as Caballero jumps the other way. Game on.
Azpilicueta brings down Aubameyang after the Spaniard is duped by a brilliant ball over the top for the Gabonese. Penalty to Arsenal. VAR check is done, and the decision stands.
What a strike, what a goal, but there's the whistle. Nicolas Pepe's top-notch left-footed curler ended up behind the net but he is judged offside. Arsenal smelling blood here. Chelsea need to up their game.
Arsenal have had a bright five minute stint here with Dani Ceballos shining with his movement and passing in the middle of the park. He did hit a free-kick but it didn't trouble Caballero much. Still passing around and not letting Chelsea enjoy possession... well, that's a start. Lacazette is still looking very isolated as Zouma seems to be on his best.
Mateo Kovacic is booked after he brings down Granit Xhaka. Arsenal take a lofty free-kick but it is cleared out by Zouma.
Arsenal haven't been bad but they have been rather slow after that initial move. Pepe and Lacazette are still looking to find a way to get themselves into the game,but it is all Chelsea for now. Pulisic has a shot saved, Alonso making a run down the wing and all.
WHAT A START BY CHELSEA! After Mount's shot was saved by Martinez, Pulisic finds the net just a couple of minutes later. The move started deep in midfield, when Jorginho passed it right through the middle to Pulisic. He found Mount's run towards the left wing, and after the Englishman squared it to the veteran Giroud in the middle... he played it Pulisic, who then skipped past everyone and put Chelsea in front with a tidy finish. Arsenal defence at standstill. Arteta with a look of grimace on his face.