Highlights FA Cup final, Arsenal vs Chelsea, football scores and results: Arsenal clinch title for record 13th time with 2-1 win over Chelsea

Third time in four years….

The #EmiratesFACup trophy belongs to @Arsenal ! ???? pic.twitter.com/ELaSU1OqDe

— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 27, 2017

The importance of Alexis Sanchez:

Lifelong Chelsea fan and former cricketer Alec Stewart with a reminder for Arsenal fans

Is Wenger going to stay then?

???????????? #emiratesfacup pic.twitter.com/HXAZYH17nN

— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 27, 2017

THIS is what it means ???? #WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/3u3DOMIG5m

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 27, 2017

What a stunning final! Arsene Wenger wins the FA Cup for a record 7th time — in fabulous style. Arsenal never cease to amaze. So what does the #WengerOut brigade say to such a vintage performance?  

THIS IS JUST AMAZING! 

ARSENAL ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE FA CUP FOR THE 13TH TIME!

There it is then. Nothing but a simply exciting final comes to an end as Arsenal lift their 13th FA Cup, third in four years. Wenger will put his hands on the seventh, not bad for a manager who has been on the wrong end of the stick in recent times.

It has been an up-and-down season for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger and after all the criticism he has taken this season, it is a great sight to see him smiling. Conte, too, acknowledges Wenger’s win there. Arsenal were just beyond fantastic tonight. This is what a comprehensive win looks like. 

90’ Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

A nervy moment there for Arsenal’s defence as Mitchy Batshuayi makes a superb run through the middle but the ball goes out for a corner. Arsenal need to get their rhythm back. Giroud drifts in on the edge of Courtios’s box and finds Ramsey, whose shot did not cause any trouble. Chelsea will have four minutes to save themselves.

How was that not a goal? Kante at the one end, Ozil at the other. Time is no longer Chelsea’s friend. They need an equaliser quickly. A standout performance also from Granit Xhaka, the Swiss, who has been lambasted and vilified so often this season for his rash instincts. 

85’ Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea are not going to give up here. Good movement in the middle as Kante gets room to take a shot from distance. But, nothing happening for them at the moment. Costa comes out of nowhere to smack one past Mertesacker but how has Ospina kept that out?

Chelsea caught napping there!

Arsenal are stunned — or are they? Volcanic eruption at Wembley. Their nemesis Diego Costa had equaliSed following some lax defending by Arsenal and poor goalkeeping from David Ospina, but Arsenal respond immediately. A great cut-back from Oliver Giroud is headed in by Ramsey. Crisis averted for a few minutes.

79’ Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

OUT OF NOTHING, AGAIN! This time it’s Aaron Ramsey who slots home with a downward header! Olivier Giroud sets Sanchez to the left and immediately passes it to Ramsey.

75’ Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea

AND DIEGO COSTA SCORES OUT OF NOTHING! Chelsea are not going to look behind as they attack despite being a man down. Willian has dropped deep since coming on.  He taps it to his right, past Holding as the ball takes a nick off Mertesacker. A big defection deceives Ospina but he knows he should’ve been done better. Costa is the fox in the box! 

75’ Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea

AND DIEGO COSTA SCORES OUT OF NOTHING! Chelsea are not going to look behind as they attack despite being a man down. Willian has dropped deep since coming on.  He taps it to his right, past Holding as the ball takes a nick off Mertesacker. A big defection deceives Ospina but he knows he should’ve been done better. Costa is the fox in the box! 

65’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Chelsea are finding it difficult to find spaces in the middle as Ramsey and Welbeck’s combination has left Kante and Fabregas exasperating. Courtois palms Bellerin’s low shot away and there goes another chance for Arsenal. Will Fabregas change the shape of Arsenal’s resilient back three.

One word for this final: absorbing.

65’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Chelsea are finding it difficult to find spaces in the middle as Ramsey and Welbeck’s combination has left Kante and Fabregas exasperating. Courtois palms Bellerin’s low shot away and there goes another chance for Arsenal. Will Fabregas change the shape of Arsenal’s resilient back three.

Cesc Fabregas gets roundly booed by the Arsenal fans. When he gets a first touch of the ball, he is booed again. No love lost there.

60’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

One may argue that Arsenal should have scored three or four on the night. And that’s some brilliance from Ozil on the right-hand side. That drop of the shoulder is worth every penny Arsenal paid for him. Cahill must be fuming right now.

55’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Arsenal have recovered well after inviting pressure from Chelsea in the early stages of the second half. Moses was booked as Welbeck was fouled on the left flank just when he had the control.

No sterile possession from Chelsea. They are pouring forward, playing it around quite nicely. Diego Costa versus Per Mertesacker is a match within the match. At the moment, it’s 3-0 to the German, but Costa is shielding the ball well at times.

STAT ATTACK: At three minutes, 49 seconds, Alexis Sanchez’s opening goal was Arsenal’s fastest ever in an FA Cup final.

50’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Chelsea are getting ahead in numbers and that has troubled Arsenal in the start of the second half. Looks like they have had a hairdryer from Conte in the dressing room. Kante receives the ball and shoots from distance. The ball takes a wicked deflection but lands safely in Ospina’s territory.

The teams are back out. It’s Aaron Ramsey who has been causing Chelsea a lot of problems in midfield. He is pushing up, leaving Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante outnumbered. How will Conte respond?

Alonso kicked the ball high into the stands as the referee blew for the half. A sign of frustration? It’s been a great 45 minutes in this FA Cup final: a crisp Arsenal vs a static Chelsea. Wenger’s team are sharper and more alert. Will Conte bring Cesc Fabregas in the second half?

The players are out in the middle as Chelsea look to settle their nerves and equalise. All eyes will be on Arsene no matter what. The second half gets underway!

HALF-TIME: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

And that’s that for the first half. Arsene must be really happy with his players as he makes his way into the tunnel for a small chat before the come out to fight in the second half. Sanchez’s lead in the fifth minute has done the damage but they should have been leading by two. But, Arsenal still have to keep their noses in front in the second half. Chelsea were getting into the groove on the half hour mark but were unable to find Costa. Let’s see what’s in store for us in the second half.

A small detail, but the Chelsea players are not wearing any black armbands. That is accidental, according to the English media. They will be on for the second half.

It’s a lot of probing and poking from Chelsea, but Arsenal, when defending, do so in numbers. The Blues have been struggling to break down that red wall. Pedro has a fine chance inside the box, but his shot is panicky. Antonio Conte is not a happy man. His Chelsea have been poor.

What kind of a match has it been, you ask? The kind where Mesut Ozil puts in a sliding tackle on Eden Hazard. Woah!

40’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

It’s all looking fine for Wenger’s men at the moment. They have till now covered every inch of the grass and have created more than Chelsea. Sounds absurd, isn’t it? Arsenal now concede a clumsy free kick from outside 30 yards or so. Oh and Costa spoils the opportunity as he gets penalised for a foul inside the box. That’s a waste.

Is this shaping up to be a classic, a great finale to the trilogy? Chelsea thumped Arsenal 3-1 at Stamford Bridge but this Wenger team are a different proposition. Arsenal should be two or three goals up. The Cahill Line Clearance Service is up and running. Will Arsenal regret missing their chances?

30’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Arsenal create yet another chance up the other end, and suddenly Bellerin finds Welbeck, who is set free down the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. He successfully clips the ball inside but Cahill was there to clear off the line. It’s all happening for Arsenal.

Poldi channelising his inner Gunner! 

Where have the real Arsenal gone? Even the slapstick defending has been absent so far. Per Mertesacker is settling down well in his new role. The German has never played in three-man backline. He made two great tackles on Diego Costa, but there are a few signs that Chelsea are coming to life.

This is a magnificent start from Arsenal. Chelsea can’t touch the ball. Where is N’golo Kante when you need him? Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have been posing plenty of problems for Chelsea’s defence. Garry Cahill prevents calamity as he clears Ozil’s attempt off the line. Danny Welbeck hits the posts with a header. Chelsea look lethargic and this has been a pleasant but surprising start to the FA Cup final. Can Arsenal capitalise and score a second?

Elsewhere, a certain former Chelsea manager has been hobnobbing with a certain famous Manchester Untied fan.

25’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Chelsea are trying their best to ruffle a few feathers with Pedro making off the ball runs to test Per Mertesacker. Monreal is taking care of the left flank even though he has the support of Chamberlain’s pace. Chelsea are crowding in the midfield and it looks like the Gunners will try to break the play and look for counterattacks. Something different from Wenger there.

In case you missed it..****..

#AFC have drawn the 1st blood

Alexis Sanchez with a goal that is deemed to be controversial #ARSvCHE #FACupFinal pic.twitter.com/mNwHpc0G51

— BET A BONUS (@BetABonus) May 27, 2017

20’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Tactically, Arsenal have outnumbered Chelsea since the time referee blew his whistle. Victor Moses, who has been the poster boy of Conte’s splendid season, is unable to track back at times and that has allowed Sanchez to drift in with his blistering pace. He is the biggest threat for Chelsea tonight. David Luiz must play as a sweeper defender to avoid through balls from the middle of the park.

15’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

In the last five minutes, the only notable thing from Conte’s side has been Gary Cahill’s clearance off the line. Sanchez is cutting in with ease as he finds Mesut Ozil with a lovely little through ball only to see Cahill clear it. Courtios was caught in no man’s land. Weird!

Diego Costa and Rob Holding in a first tussle. That will be an interesting battle. The young Arsenal defender has never before played the experienced Spaniard. There is a great intensity and ferocity to this game early on.

10’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

It is a strange start for Chelsea as Eden Hazard hasn’t touched the ball yet. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ramsey are setting up for Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck up front.

5’ Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Alexis Sanchez gives Arsenal the lead with the outside of his right boot! What is happening? Chelsea players are protesting as Aaron Ramsey was probably in an offside position but the linesman says he had no involvement whatsoever. This is a dream start for Arsene Wenger. 

The players are out on the pitch! Arsenal in their famous red shirts, Chelsea wearing their storied blue. This is going to be one hell of a contest!

Wenger may win the FA Cup for a record seventh time today, but that is not at the heart of this match for Arsenal. His future, and arguably that of the club, is. Will he stay or will he go? Earlier this week he said the debate over his future was ‘artificial’ and that a decision on populist grounds shouldn’t be made. Those comments were aloof, but this match will go a long way in clarifying the future of the Frenchman.

John Terry’s name received cheers from the Chelsea and boos from the Arsenal fans when announced over the PA system. Will he get a few minutes tonight for a fond farewell? Diego Costa is another player who may be making his last Chelsea appearance on the night. Is he China-bound for silly money? You’d think Antonio Conte would want to keep him after his excellent season. He is the perfect fit for this fixture. Chelsea’s number 19 has bruised and bullied Arsenal plenty of times in the past, but beneath that veneer of brutality and aggression lies a striker who is so complete as a player. He is crucial to Chelsea’s forward propulsion. His dark energy and goal scoring prowess could be key against Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons but what if he wins tonight? Will this change what some of the Gunners think about him still being at the club? Or will he decide to hang his boots if at all Arsenal lose on the night? There are numerous questions ahead of the FA Cup final and Wenger certainly knows that the onus will be on him.

It is a strange move from Arsene Wenger. His defence has already been weakened and David Ospina’s inclusion may make Arsenal’s back three even more jittery. Per Mertesacker has a huge responsibility tonight. His reading of the game is superb and so are his organisational skills, but he is not very fast and prone to be being turned by Eden Hazard and Co. No surprises in the Chelsea starting XI.

STAT ATTACK:

Per Mertesacker has played just 37 minutes worth of football in the past 13 months. This is interesting.

Hello and welcome from Wembley Stadium in North London. This final is the pinnacle of the English game, Chelsea and Arsenal play in the 136th FA Cup final, and the team news is just out. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech is dropped in favour of David Ospina. German defender Per Mertesacker comes in for the suspended Laurent Koscielny. Nemanja Matic starts ahead of Cesc Fabregas for a full-strength Chelsea. Wembley is bathing in sunshine and there is a crackle in the air. The fans are starting to fill the stands. This place will be rocking in a good 45 minutes.

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s live coverage of the FA Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Wembley Stadium. Arsenal can salvage their not-so-good season by lifting the FA Cup trophy for the 13th time whereas Premier League champions Chelsea are eyeing a domestic double in this special London derby. So stick around and enjoy our live blog.