Match Report: Arsenal Run Riot in FA Cup Final Against Villa
It always seemed likely that the team to start the game brighter at Wembley on Saturday would come out on top and that was very much Arsenal, who were in the ascendancy throughout the entire game against a hugely disappointing Aston Villa.
Despite a relatively cagey start it was clear from early on which team were more fired up for the FA Cup final, in a positive way at least. Things could have gone one of two ways for underdogs Aston Villa. They could come out of the blocks with real intent or take time to settle and, unfortunately for Tim Sherwood and the travelling Villa fans, it was the latter.
After 10 minutes Arsenal’s higher intensity both on and off the ball began to pay dividends, dispossessing their opponents in central areas whilst being too quick for Villa in possession. The Villans began to commit silly fouls, perhaps unsurprisingly through Alan Hutton and then Tom Cleverly, who were both booked in the first half.
It took 14 minutes for the Gunners to create their first meaningful chance, with Laurent Koscielny’s unopposed header from an Alexis Sanchez cross well saved by Given. That then sparked a flurry of opportunities for Arsene Wenger’s men, with Ramsey twice going close. Hector Bellerin used his pace to get down the right and deliver a low cross that the Welshman diverted into the side netting, before a ricochet off Vlaar fell kindly to the midfielder, who could only lob the ball over the bar.
At the other end Szczesny, who got the nod as expected over David Ospina, repaid his manager’s faith, twice dealing well with crosses under heavy pressure from Christian Benteke where the Colombian may have struggled. However, the Pole would have nothing else to do all game. Villa’s second shot of the match came 10 minutes from time and that, from Grealish, like the first, was blocked.
While very few would have favoured Villa to lift the trophy, perhaps as few would have predicted quite how blunt and ultimately feeble their attempt would be. The supporters would have arrived hoping for a performance from their side, at the very least, that never came.
While Sherwood’s men were poor, credit must go to Arsenal, who seemed to have learnt their lesson from last season’s final against Hull. The Londoners were again threatening before the breakthrough, and were it not for a superb block from Kieran Richardson, Theo Walcott would have been celebrating sooner as the left-back kept out a certain goal from Wenger’s other key selection.
Villa began to sit deeper and deeper, inviting pressure on to them with Grealish deployed wide on the left and N’Zogbia doing very little to protect Hutton on the other side. Having seemingly weathered the storm for a short period, they were eventually and deservedly broken down. Richardson this time failed to compete for a header with Sanchez at the back post, whose knocked down was fired home with intent from Walcott.
Arsenal were unlucky to go into the break only one up, but they would effectively kill the game off shortly after the restart. Sanchez was given too much space outside the box after Tom Cleverley had overcommitted in his attempts to close the Chilean down and Arsenal’s star player this season capped off a sensational debut campaign with a fittingly stunning strike to double the Gunners' lead.
Mertesacker would add a third, left unmarked by Christian Benteke from a corner, and Arsenal could have had more were it not for a string of saves from Given before completing a comprehensive 4-0 win through Olivier Giroud.
Over three meetings this season the aggregate score would end Arsenal 12-0 Aston Villa. With 15 shots and 8 on target from Wenger’s side, Villa were totally outclassed. A couple of penalty calls didn’t go their way late on but the Midlands outfit could have no complaints with a 4-goal deficit.
The victors' dominance was clear in the WhoScored.com ratings, with no Villa player earning a rating in excess of 7. In comparison, every single starting outfielder for Arsenal managed that feat, with Alexis Sanchez earning a WhoScored man of the match award (8.68 rating) that could so easily have gone to a number of his teammates.
The Gunners answered their critics, who said they failed to perform when it truly mattered, winning back-to-back FA Cups after a 9-year break without silverware. Villa, meanwhile, proved that there is much work to be done under a manager who is, as yet, unproven in terms of transfer dealings ahead of the summer, falling to the heaviest FA Cup final defeat since an identical scoreline as United thrashed Chelsea back in 1994.
Who was your man of the match as Arsenal thrashed Villa? Let us know in the comments below
