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This weekend will see Arsenal look to defend their FA Cup title against Aston Villa. While not entirely a case of David vs Goliath, Arsenal seem to have the upper hand against the Villans, that is, if we try to go by the stats and the respective positions of the two sides in the league. But as was evident in the last year’s FA Cup final, which Arsenal managed to win after a taxing extra time, form and stats go out of the window on the day of the final; it’s the performance on the day that matters.
The struggle, the pressure of the red letter day is all pervasive, right from the royal family being divided by the claret of the villans and yellow of the gunners to the more plebian supporters of both the clubs. We take a look at the factors that would be having a say on how the game pans out.
Complacency
Along with the tag of being the favorites comes the obvious pitfall of living in the bubble of complacency. Football history is riddled with various anecdotes of the proverbial tortoise pipping the hare in finals such as this. No doubt Arsene Wenger would be wary of infusing self-belief rather than vanity into his squad. No doubt last season’s FA Cup victory was a stress buster after nine-year drought, but each final is a new final and they cannot afford to rest on past laurels.
Aston Villa have nothing to lose and playing at Wembley would all but give them the confidence to give their best and this is the scenario Arsenal should take a heed of. Moreover, the squad that Villa possesses may not sport world class names but is a squad capable of steering a game in its direction when required with a well gelled midfield, pacy wingers and a prolific striker. And Arsenal also have a knack of going missing at crucial stages, like they did in the last few rounds of the Premier League.
While this will be a momentous occasion for Arsenal (a possible 12th FA Cup win) and Arsene Wenger (a possible 6th FA Cup making him the most successful manager in the competition) the main motive should be to play better than the opponent rather than count chickens before they hatch.
Christian Benteke
Benteke, in his three years in the EPL, has been able to carve a niche for himself. His ability to bully the defences with his physicality has seen him earn a variety of admirers; so much so that rumors suggest that he may finally move on from Aston Villa after this final. With the manager openly brandishing his buyout clause days before the final, it may actually turn out to be his final game in a villa shirt.
But there is no doubt that big Belgian would be looking to make his mark on the final for his suitors as well his present club. Having missed last year’s World Cup to injury and having a tepid start to this season, Benteke has seen a surge of form of late. While some have attributed the form to Sherwood effect, Benteke has always had the potential and is perhaps incidental that his coming to form and a change in management happened at same time.
A force in himself, Benteke would be key to all things attacking that Aston Villa put forth.
Tactics Tim
Tim Sherwood has been pivotal in seeing to it that the Birmingham club maintains their Premier League status, albeit by coming 17th and just about avoiding relegation. While people have been talking about the how Sherwood has galvanized the club, there are still chances that he may lead them to their first FA cup in 58 years to add to all that he has done till now.
Sherwood has always been known for his leadership and man management. While he may not have the best of times in public for his outspokenness or overt passion, he surely has a way of extricating performances from his teams through his rapport with the players, particularly the younger lot. Be it at Spurs or now at Aston Villa.
One of the prime factors behind Aston Villa playing this final, it would not be wrong to say that he man management may at the end of the day decide who wins the cup.
Goalkeeper dilemma
Goalkeepers win and lose you games and the same can be said about this Saturday’s final as well. Choosing between Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina would be a critical decision for Arsene Wenger not just in terms of stating the hierarchy of goalkeepers in the club but to thwart the threats presented by Aston Villa. Villa, playing with Benteke, would be a handful for any side and Wenger has to make a decision on his shot stoppers keeping in mind the aerial threat presented by the Belgian in particular.
Both goalkeepers have their own list of pros and cons. Szczesny, the current cup goalkeeper for Arsenal is bound to start the final given how Wenger likes to maintain things. But the last cup final the Polish keeper played ended tragically for him and the club with a defensive mix up involving him giving another Birmingham side (Birmingham City) the trophy. Whereas Ospina has although earned his first team spot, has seen his form dip towards the end of the season making it a tougher decision than usual for Wenger.
Pace
Rather than talking about things that either sides have which the other does not have, the thing that perhaps would add sheen to the game would be the pace of both teams. Aston Villa have shown through the season, and particularly in the Sherwood reign, that they like the fast flowing counter-attacking style of play. Arsenal, too, have been able to realign themselves as a counter-attacking team this season majorly due to Alexis Sanchez’s arrival.
Tactically speaking, speed and speed on the counter would decide how expansive and open the game would be. We have seen how Jack Grealish and his pace gave Aston Villa a certain fillip against the much fancied Liverpool in the semi-final and it would be a similar procession in the final as well.
Grealish along with N’zogbia and Agbonlahor would be looking to get involved with the help of target man Benteke. Their prime target would be Per Mertesacker who is surely a chink in Arsenal’s armour when speedy counter attacks are the thing to be dealt with.
On the other side, Arsenal would be looking to utilize the speed of Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil to outdo Villa in this ploy.
