Match Preview

As the curtain came down on a torrid Premier League season for Arsenal, one in which they will want to forget in a hurry, they still have one last chance to salvage some silverware and mark the start of Arteta’s reign in a more positive light when they face an inform Chelsea side in the FA Cup final on Saturday evening. Since the restart, both teams have been in good form and won games that they perhaps weren’t expected to, which is testament to the excellent job two of the youngest managers in the Premier League have done since they arrived. Arteta’s side find themselves in a similar position to Unai Emery’s team last year, however this time their hopes for European Football all together rest on this game, as their form in the league wasn’t consistent enough to get them into the top 6. On the other hand, Frank Lampard’s side have already secured Champions League Football and are simply playing for silverware along with pride, much like last year when Sarri’s team ripped Arsenal apart in Baku.

Both sets of fans are positive that they have the right coaches to take their team to the next level, with this being the first chance of getting their hands on major silverware, everyone involved doesn’t want to lose. I can see a similar game to Arsenal vs Manchester City in the previous round, perhaps with Chelsea not dominating the ball quite as much and Arsenal being slightly more adventurous, but the principle will be the same with Arsenal sitting deeper, putting the emphasis on Chelsea to break them down while attempting to counter quickly when winning possession back.

Injury News

The Gunners injury list remains lengthy heading into Wembley, however there are some positive updates on Hector Bellerin and Bernd Leno as they are both back in full training, but there was also disappointing news on Skhodran Mustafi’s hamstring injury which looks set to rule him out until October. Long term absentees Callum Chambers, Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli will definitely miss this fixture and will aim to be fit again in the early stages of next season.

Frank Lampard has a few key players who are doubts for this one, as Willian and N’Golo Kante both missed their important clash against Wolves with injuries. It is unknown whether the pair will be fit, however one player who is certain to miss out is youngster Billy Gilmour who is expected to be out for a while with a knee problem.

Predicted Lineup

Formation – 3-4-3

GK – Emilio Martinez

RWB – Hector Bellerin

CB – Rob Holding

CB – David Luiz

CB- Kieran Tierney

LWB – Maitland-Niles

CM – Granit Xhaka

CM – Dani Ceballos

RW – Nicolas Pepe

ST – Alexandre Lacazette

LW – Aubameyang

FEEDBACK

Let me know your thoughts in the comments or join the discussion on Twitter & Instagram. Hit the share buttons at the bottom of the page!

James Humphreys