Arsenal won the FA Cup trophy today, following a comeback against the city rivals, Chelsea, 2-1. The star of the match was Gunners’ striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang’s Magic
Last Year’s Premiership Golden Shoe is the hero of Arsenal’s fans as he scored two goals erasing Chelsea’s early lead. Aubameyang was the central figure on Wembley’s pitch.
His first goal came from a penalty after he himself earned it. Cesar Azpilicueta couldn’t stop Aubameyang regularly, making a foul inside the box. There was no doubt for the referee, with the Arsenal’s striker taking the ball and beating Willy Caballero without any problems.
The second one was in the 67th minute, after one counter-attack. Bellerin found Nicolas Pepe on the wing, and the French then found Aubameyang in the box. He would create space to shoot and hit the back of the net for the second time today.
Until the end of the game, Arsenal defended well, waiting to hit the Blues on the break. They had some help, as Chelsea lost one player to a red card, and two more because of injuries.
Kovacic received a second yellow card in the 73rd minute, and he had to go out. This situation was a bit suspicious, and some disagree with the referee’s decision. As for the injuries, Pulisic and Azpilicueta had to go out, the same as Pedro, who left the pitch in the finish. All this helped Arsenal win its 14th FA Cup trophy, which is a record in England.
The oldest football competition in the world has a very high value among the fans in this country, and this pretty much saved the season for the Gunners. Up until this point, this was the worst EPL campaign ever when for this club, as they finished eighth in the standings. Previously, they were eliminated in the Europa League and the English Football Cup.
Chelsea’s Missed Chance
Everybody believed that the Blues are going to roll over the rivals today, after Pulisic scored in the fifth minute. The American received an assist from Olivier Giroud to open the match in the best possible way.
Chelsea was looking good in that part of the game, not allowing the Gunners to feel comfortable at all. However, the penalty from the 27th minute disrupted them a lot, and that was obvious throughout the latter stages of the game.
Lampard’s team dictated the rhythm in the second half but without anything concrete, and that eventually cost them a trophy.
This could be a better season for the Blues, who did reach the top four in the EPL and the Champions League spot, but showed oscillations at some parts of the campaign, which hurt them a lot.
This young team has a high ceiling, and it is up to Lampard now to develop them properly. With Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech in the squad and possibly Kai Havertz, this team will be a threat to all next year.
