As the full time whistle blew, Arsenal fans celebrated not only back-to-back FA Cup wins but also becoming the most decorated team in the history of the cup. Our performance over Aston Villa was superb. We had the right tactics with the right players and stuck to the game plan. The opening goal took a while given the chances that had come before it but the team kept at it and once the deadlock was broken, you knew Arsenal were in control and had their destiny in their hands. Our attackers created plenty of chances and did well to make sure these counted, whilst defensively the team knew exactly what threat Villa posed and dealt with it in an efficient manner. Instead of going into detail about the overall game, I’ve taken a look at each players performance below:
Szczesny – In what was possibly his last Arsenal game he claimed four crosses and punched one away, doing everything that was required of him. His decision to come out for crosses worked well and nullified Aston Villa’s biggest attacking threat. Did he do enough to warrant another shot at first choice keeper or will his fate be sealed with a new goalkeeper signing. Only time will tell.
Bellerin – Played as a right winger on top of his usual role at right back during the game. He made two blocks and four interceptions (most in the side for both categories), but also made two key passes during the game (both in the opposition box) and 40% of his passes in the final third. A very good performance to cap a great debut season for the young Spaniard. It will be interesting to see who takes the right back position next season.
Koscielny – Seven clearances, five aerial duals won, two interceptions and not a single tackle needed. That is a strong centre back performance, which reduced Villa to only two shots, none on target. Unlucky not to score too, saw a great header in the first half saved.
Mertesacker – Similar performance to Koscielny – nine clearances, six aerial duals won, no tackles and no fouls. But he did manage to get a goal, and it was well deserved too. Koscielny scored last year, Mertesacker this. Always good to see our defenders getting stuck in when it matters!
Monreal – Last year Gibbs started the final. This season Monreal has improved greatly and testament to this is that he is now keeping Gibbs out of the starting IX. He was tested yesterday, but did what was required when needed.
Coquelin – Made 52 passes during the game with an accuracy of 92%. When he first came into the side he was hitting an accuracy rate in the late seventies/early eighties. This shows how much his technical game has improved. From his defensive midfield role, he picked out seven perfect long passes.
Cazorla – Not to be out done by the man beside him, Cazorla had a passing accuracy of 94% and made 12 long passes, all reaching their target. On top of this he made three key passes and dictated the tempo, direction and timing of our play. And he managed to get an assist for the Mertesacker goal, the least he deserved. A definite man of the match contender performance from him.
Ramsey – Much has been made about Ramsey playing on the right wing rather than the middle. But in that position he gets scoring chances, and the same was true yesterday. He took five shots on goal hitting the target twice. He made four successful dribbles, and even helped the team our defensively with eight tackles.
Ozil – With three key passes, 91% pass accuracy and 70% of his passes coming in the final third, Ozil helped Cazorla to dictate the game from the middle of the park. Plenty of deft touches and shoulder drops kept the Aston Villa defence guessing. Now has the impressive record of not losing a single FA Cup game since he arrived.
Sanchez – With a goal (and what a goal!) and an assist, he’s the closest rival to Cazorla for man of the match. You can spend all day saying how good Sanchez is. His goal also cemented his place as Arsenal’s top scorer in the competition. He did what he’s done all season, chasing the loose ball, running at defenders and cutting in whenever he has the chance. The surprise stat from the game was that he lost possession seven times, more than any other Arsenal player!
Walcott – His goal got things up and running for the Arsenal, and justified Wenger’s decision to choose him over Giroud. He spent the game playing off the last defender, a tactic which helped to stretch Aston Villa and create space for the creative players in the middle. He wandered offside four times, more than any other player on the pitch, but that is expected given his role. He will be disappointed he did not score more than once. A last ditch block by Richardson and a poor curling finish in a one on one with Given denied him.
Wilshere – Looked lively when he came on and was keen to make a big impact. He made as many dribbles, four, as any other player in his brief cameo and 81% of his passes were made in the opposition half.
Giroud – A deft touch with the outside of his boot, to score with the last meaningful kick of the game, and deserved it too. Not specifically for this match but for his form since he came back from injury and his importance to the side during our winning streak.
Oxlade-Chamberlain – After missing last year’s final it was good to see him get on, even if only for a few minutes. But a few minutes were enough for him to set up Giroud’s goal and seal the biggest FA Cup final win since 1994.
Wenger – Finally it’s the managers turn. Not only did he have the right tactics for us but he anticipated how Aston Villa would play and came up with the perfect way to nullify them. He had the team motivated from the outset, and there were no signs of complacency despite the big wins earlier in the season. He got his key decisions right – choosing Walcott over Giroud helped to stretch the Villa team, and although Szczesny didn’t have much to do he dealt with any crosses with confidence. A perfect day for Wenger, a comfortable win to become record holders in his favourite competition.
statisticallyarsenal 