Arsenal vs Chelsea: Cup Final Preview

Tomorrow, we face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley. It’s a season-defining game. If we win, it will be strong evidence for the clear progress we’ve made since Artetas arrival. We would have won our first trophy in three years and gained entry into europe, something which looked unlikely at times during the season. However, if we lose, it will go down as one of our worst seasons for decades. Eighth in the league with no trophy or qualification for Europe would be a disastrous campaign. It would leave us in a precarious position as finances would be limited and the only route into the Champions League would be a top four finish. To avoid this, it’s essential we win the trophy we’ve won more than any other team.

If we were to win the FA cup, our transfer budget would increase, thus giving us more flexibility in the market over the summer. This would allow us to afford better players which would strengthen our squad. One name that has been circulating recently is Coutinho on loan from Barcelona. His agent has said that he’s keen on a move back to the Premier League and that a number of clubs are interested. I would take him in a heartbeat. We are crying out for a creative player of his calibre and he would really make an improvement to our team. If Mesut Ozil isn’t going to play then our next best attacking midfielder is Willock and he’s very average. Coutinho is a world class player and if he’s available we should give him a blank cheque. He’d probably want extortionate wages but if we want to close the gap on the big teams, he’s definitely the quality of player we should be looking at.

Even if we didn’t qualify for Europe, I don’t think we’d have any trouble attracting good players. We’re a club with such a rich history, fantastic facilities and in an ideal location. I genuinely think players would jump at the chance to play for us and to be part of the project that Arteta is building. Regardless, it's still preferable that we qualify for Europe so that we have some money to work with.

It will be a tough game on Saturday but I don’t think Chelsea are any better than us. Their defence is similar to ours in being horrific and I think going forward we are stronger than them. I just fear that Giroud will come back to haunt us once again like he did last year in Baku. For the record, I always rated Giroud. I thought he always worked hard and was crucial to the way we used to play. A lot of fans gave him grief for not being world class but I think he was just below that level. He was a top striker and he wasn’t given the respect he deserved at times. He’s finally starting to get some appreciation and is in hot form coming into the game. I just pray Luiz can put in another Mertesacker-esque performance and keep him quiet.

My team for the final (3-4-3)

Martinez

Holding

Luiz

Tierney

Bellerin

Ceballos

Xhaka

Maitland-Niles

Pepe

Lacazette

Aubameyang

I think this is the team that most expect Arteta to field at Wembley. The only relatively surprising inclusion would be Maitland-Niles but I think he fully deserves it following his recent performances. Both Holding and Luiz had stinkers last week but hopefully they realise the magnitude of the occasion, forcing them to concentrate and put in solid performances. Midfield picks itself really, with Ceballos and Xhaka putting together a strong partnership since the restart. Same applies to the front three, with all of them having the potential to be match winners.

My prediction for the game is 2-0 Arsenal. I know it's perhaps optimistic to predict a clean sheet but I think our defence will turn up. I’m sure there will be times where my bum will be flapping but hopefully they can do us proud and bring the trophy home. If you fancy a flutter you can get Arsenal to win 2-0 at 15 on Betfair. I’m gonna have a bang on the double of 2-0 and Pepe first goalscorer at 78. You heard it here first.

JH