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Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez in possession. Adam Davy
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Arsenal v Chelsea, FA Cup final

Two London clubs met at Wembley Stadium this evening with silverware on the line.

HAVING CLAIMED THE Premier League title in his first season, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is looking to add the FA Cup to that success at Wembley today.

The Blues will be favourites lift the trophy for the eighth time in their history, but Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal stand in the way.

Kick-off is 5.30pm and it’s live on BBC and TV3, but we’ll be keeping you up-to-date from start to finish so don’t go anywhere.

Victory over Arsenal would see Antonio Conte emulate the achievements of Carlo Ancelotti by leading the club to English football’s two major trophies in his first season.

In contrast, the Gunners have just missed out on the top four for the first time in 21 years and FA Cup success will only act as a consolation for their frustrated fans — many of whom believe Arsene Wenger should step down.

But victory for the Frenchman, whose future beyond this weekend has to be revealed, would put his name into the record books as the first manager to win the competition seven times.

Conte has yet to get his hands on a major cup since going into management but he did win the Coppa Italia as a player in 1995 — beating Parma over two legs in the final.

Read our FA Cup final talking points here 

Team news — Chelsea are at full-strength and Conte has gone for Nemanja Matic and Pedro instead of Cesc Fabregas and Willian.

Missing the susppended Laurent Koscielny and injured pair Gabriel and Shkodran Mustafi, the Gunners name Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding at centre-half. The German veteran has played just 45 minutes of competitive football all season.

Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard.

 

Arsenal: Ospina, Holding, Mertesacker, Monreal, Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis, Ozil, Welbeck.

Wenger has opted for Colombian international David Ospina in goal ahead of Petr Cech today. Big call.

Arsenal v Manchester City - Premier League - Emirates Stadium Nick Potts Nick Potts

I don’t know what you think, but this Arsene Wenger look-a-like doesn’t look very much like the Frenchman to me.

Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup - Final - Wembley Stadium Nick Potts Nick Potts

The teams are out and we’re about to have a moment’s silence for the victims of this week’s terrorist attack in Manchester.

Kick-off – We’re off and running. Both teams in their tradition kits.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (Alexis Sanchez) 

Early drama! Arsenal start brightly and they win a corner, which is collected by Courtois. Moments later, Alexis Sanchez has the ball in the back of the net, but the linesman’s flag goes up for offside.

However, after a lengthy discussion with his assistant, referee Anthony Taylor awards the goal!

Here’s that goal. Ramsey is clearly offside but he doesn’t actually make contact with the ball before Sanchez scores. The Chelsea players appear to stop, however. Good call?

Sports TV55 / YouTube

Over the bar – Sanchez drives a powerful strike at goal but it’s too high to trouble Courtois.

Off the line! Arsenal very nearly went 2-0 up there. Ozil dinks the ball over Courtois but Cahill gets back to clear just as the ball is about to cross the goal line. Superb start from the Gunners.

This is all very un-Arsenal-like. They’ve been brilliant in the opening 18 minutes.

Off the post! That’s desperately unlucky. Welbeck makes great contact with his header to direct the ball past the Chelsea keeper but the ball hits the woodwork. Ramsey is loitering but doesn’t react quickly enough to score from the rebound.

Mertesacker has been very good in Arsenal’s back three so far. Despite his lack of football this season, he has looked sharp and just made a timely challenge on Costa minutes ago.

Good save – Costa muscles his way in behind Holding to get a shot off, but Ospina is well-placed to make the block.

Yet another chance goes begging for Arsenal. They break in numbers and Welbeck tries to chip the ball over Courtois, but the Belgian does just about enough to keep the ball out.

The Gunners should be a few goals up by now and these misses might actually come back to haunt them.

Decent stop – Xhaka volleys goalward and Courtois is at full stretch to save.

Sanchez finds himself through on goal again but checks back and is snuffed out. Down the other end, Hazard finds Pedro and the Spaniard fires over.

Hazard is down receiving treatment after a tackle from Ozil. Replays show the German got a touch on the ball and Chelsea’s star man should be okay to continue.

Half-time: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea 

Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup - Final - Wembley Stadium Diego Costa has a go at a couple of Arsenal players. Nick Potts Nick Potts

Second half – And we’re back. No changes to either team.

Kante with a rare strike on goal from 25 yards. It’s on target but doesn’t trouble Ospina.

More solid defending from Mertesacker, who puts in a fine tackle to keep out Costa. He’s having a stormer.

Chelsea are turning the screw. Moses finds himself in the Arsenal box and shoots low, only for Ospina to get down to save. Mertesacker then hacks clear.

Holding brings down Costa just outside the box and Chelsea have a free-kick in a dangerous area. It’s Hazard to take and that man Mertesacker heads behind for a corner.

Arsenal clear the set-piece and keep possession. Sanchez splits open the Blues defence with an excellent pass to Bellerin, whose cross is then saved by Courtois.

End-to-end stuff.

Yellow card – Welbeck glides past Moses and the Chelsea wide man goes into Anthony Taylor’s book.

That wasn’t far away. Moses picks out Pedro in a central area and the former Barcelona man curls an effort just past the post.

And Kante has just been cautioned for a foul on Ramsey.

Substitution – Conte withdraws Matic to bring on former Gunner Cesc Fabregas as Chelsea go in search of an equaliser.

Bellerin shoots from the edge of the box but it’s not hit with enough venom and Courtois gets down to save.

Red card! Chelsea are down to 10 men! Moses takes a dive in the box and picks up a second yellow card. Good decision from the referee.

Another Chelsea change – Willian is in for Pedro. 18 minutes plus time added on to play.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea (Diego Costa) 

They’re level! Substitute Willian finds Costa, who chests the ball down and shoots into the ground. The attempt takes a slight deflection and beats Ospina, who really should be doing better.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (Aaron Ramsey) 

Wow! The Gunners lead again. Minutes after conceding, they attack and substitute Giroud — who’s only on the field — crosses for Ramsey to head home.

This has been a great final.

Arsenal change – Francis Coquelin is on for Oxlade-Chamberlain.

That could prove to be a crucial save – Costa controls on his chest and volleys at goal but it’s straight at Opina and he makes the stop.

Woodwork! Arsenal break on the counter and Ozil steps inside his man before lashing the ball off the post. That would have wrapped things up.

Four minutes of additional time… can Arsenal hang on?

Full-time: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

The Gunners are FA Cup champions and Wenger becomes the first manager to win the competition seven times!

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Wenger vying to be the competition’s most successful manager and the FA Cup final talking points

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