The Wembley Battle between two London rivals for the Emirates FA Cup : Who needs it the most?





The FA Cup Final is almost upon us, with Arsenal seeking to prevent Chelsea from completing a memorable Double.

The London rivals face off at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the chance to claim the capital as their own for the day by winning the Cup.

Antonio Conte's Chelsea are looking to add another domestic trophy to their Premier League title, while the game is also hugely significant for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in his career this season, and needs silverware on Saturday to stand any chance of calling the season a success.

The French coach's future is in serious doubt as Europa League football awaits, but sealing the FA Cup for a record seventh time could go some way to convincing fans he deserved more time to turn things around.

Players takes

 



Victor Moses says Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Arsenal eight months ago remains fresh in the minds of the players, but is confident Antonio Conte's winning 3-4-3 formula will see the Blues win the FA Cup.

The Gunners inflicted a heavy defeat on the Blues side at the Emirates Stadium last September when first-half goals from Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil stunned the eventual Premier League champions.


When asked about the defeat at the Emirates Stadium, Moses said: We still think about it. We lost two games in a row against Liverpool and Arsenal. We felt very sad after that game but we played them at Stamford Bridge and won 3-1.


Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain admitted Arsenal have failed to progress at the same pace as their Premier League rivals, but believes an FA Cup Final win can provide a foundation for success next season.

We’ve failed to do that in the League this year, which is why we’ve missed out on the top four. But we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to win a trophy. When you’re in football, winning trophies is what it’s all about.

But the FA Cup’s a big trophy, one that we want to win - and it will definitely boost morale going into next season.


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