Arsenal used a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang double to engineer a 2-1 comeback win over 10-man Chelsea in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, collecting a record 14th FA Cup and sealing a place in the Europa League.
The win means seventh place in the Premier League will not be good enough for the Europa League. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ only route to Europe is by winning this season’s UEL and going to the 2020-21 Champions League.
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Christian Pulisic scored early for the Blues but was removed with a painful injury just after halftime. Cesar Azpilicueta also left with an injury and Mateo Kovacic was shown a controversial second yellow card in the 73rd minute to leave the Blues with 10 men.
Referee Anthony Taylor will be under the microscope for that decision as well as a possible Hector Bellerin foul on Andreas Christensen in the run-up to the winning goal.
Arsenal have won four of the last seven FA Cups, while this was Chelsea’s third appearance in four years. It’s a signature win for Mikel Arteta, and a small step back for Frank Lampard.
Stats
Shots: Arsenal 11-8
Shots on target: 3-3
Fouls: Chelsea 14-2
Possession: Chelsea 60 percent
[ MORE: FA Cup Final box score ]
Man of the Match
Aubameyang -- If this is the striker’s last match for Arsenal, it’s a beauty. He didn’t do a terrible amount besides scoring two goals... but he scored two goals in a final. Honorable mention to Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos.
AUBA AT THE DOUBLE! 🤩#HeadsUpFACupFinal #ARSCHE pic.twitter.com/UhHGwMU0rm
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) August 1, 2020
Arsenal - Chelsea recap
Mason Mount came closer in the third minute with a shot from the right that would’ve curled inside the near post if not for the quick hand of Emiliano Martinez
And it was Chelsea who would answer with Mount on the other side of the pitch to take a pass from a driving Pulisic, then feeding Giroud for a flick to the American.
Pulisic controlled the ball flawlessly and cut past a wary Kieran Tierney before chopping the ball across his body to leave Emiliano Martinez in the lurch.
The American forced a save out of Martinez with a hard drive moments later, Chelsea asking all of the questions at Wembley.
Arsenal got back in the fray when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the deck during a charge alongside Cesar Azpilicueta in the box. Aubameyang got Willy Caballero going the wrong way and put his emphatic strike home.
Spot on, @Aubameyang7 🎯#HeadsUpFACupFinal #ARSCHE pic.twitter.com/qxgcVgitIY
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) August 1, 2020
Azpilicueta then came off injured, replaced by Andreas Christensen.
Pulisic exploded out of the gate and forced a turnover before driving the left. He grimaced once he got inside the 18 and hit the turf in agony holding his hamstring after his shot went wide.
He needed help to get off the pitch.
Arsenal went in front through Aubameyang, who is clearly the Gunners biggest star. Hector Bellerin led a charge up the right side which came to the Gabonese star on the left.
Aubameyang took his time and might’ve wasted his chance were it not for calm work in cutting to his left and chopping past an onrushing Caballero.
It got worse for the Blues when Kovacic fouled Granit Xhaka and picked up a second yellow.
Mateo Kovacic sent off. Chelsea down 10 men. He picks up a second yellow card for clipping Granit Xhaka but that looks very, very soft. Anthony Taylor has got that one wrong. #ARSCHE 2-1
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) August 1, 2020