FA Cup 2019-20 final: Arsenal-Chelsea combined XI

It's Arsenal vs Chelsea again in the FA Cup final.
It's Arsenal vs Chelsea again in the FA Cup final.

It's a London derby in the FA Cup final again as Arsenal and Chelsea lock horns in the Wembley showpiece on Saturday.

In a rematch of the 2017 final, both teams are coming off the back of unconvincing league campaigns. The Blues sneaked into the top-four on the final day, whereas the Gunners could only muster an eighth-place finish.

However, both teams have done well to get to the FA Cup title match, seeing off Manchester United and holders Manchester City respectively in the semifinals.

With a Champions League slot secured, winning the FA Cup would be a perfect end to Frank Lampard's first season in charge of Chelsea. A win for Arsenal, on the other hand, would take the sting out of the wounds sustained by the Gunners during the course of a horrendous last ten months.

Ahead of the mouth-watering clash, let's see how the London giants line up in a combined XI:

A combined Arsenal-Chelsea XI:

Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Arsenal)

Emiliano Martinez has stepped up to the plate in the absence of Leno.
Emiliano Martinez has stepped up to the plate in the absence of Leno.

This one's a no-brainer given Kepa Arrizabalaga's erroneous displays and Willy Caballero's minimal playing time.

Emiliano Martinez has successfully taken his chances with aplomb at Arsenal since replacing the injured Bernd Leno. He has also started every FA Cup game this season for Arsenal, keeping three clean sheets and conceding just twice in five games.

Right-back: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

The skipper has led by an example from the back.
The skipper has led by an example from the back.

Reece James is a promising talent, but Cesar Azpilicueta's wealth of experience and big-game pedigree makes him indispensable for the FA Cup showpiece.

The fact that he's clocked more minutes than any other player from the squad this season underlines the Spaniard's importance to the side. His versatility in playing across various positions in defence has been a valuable asset for Chelsea too.

Centre-back: Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)

Antonio Rudiger has had his ups and downs but remains an important piece of Chelsea's defensive puzzle.
Antonio Rudiger has had his ups and downs but remains an important piece of Chelsea's defensive puzzle.

It's not that Chelsea's defence has been particularly stellar, but the centre-back pairing of Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma is still better than what the Gunners have to make do with - David Luiz and Rob Holding.

Rudiger made a good start to the season, but injuries have curtailed his game time while there's been a significant drop in his level of performance too. In the FA Cup final though, he's got to muster his A-game once again.

Centre-back: Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Kurt Zouma has highly matured after his loan spell with Everton last year.
Kurt Zouma has highly matured after his loan spell with Everton last year.

Kurt Zouma improved during his loan spell at Everton last season and has continued in the same vein after returning to Chelsea.

His confidence and composure have been a wonderful counterpoint to Chelsea's sloppy and shambolic defence while he has also looked at ease in the back-three between Rudiger and Azpilicueta.

The Frenchman's aerial prowess from set-piece situations is an asset too.

Left-back: Kieran Tierney (Arsenal)

Keiran Tierney has bounced back from injuries quite emphatically.
Keiran Tierney has bounced back from injuries quite emphatically.

A spate of injuries has meant that Kieran Tierney had to wait until the restart to find decent game-time where he has come up trumps.

His performances improved with each passing game as he got off the mark on the final day of the EPL season. The Scotsman is showing what he's capable of and would be upbeat for the FA Cup final, having also assisted one of Aubameyang's goals against Manchester City in the semis.

Central midfielder: Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)

Granit Xhaka's turbulent campaign is heading to a beautiful end.
Granit Xhaka's turbulent campaign is heading to a beautiful end.

It's been a whirlwind campaign for the Swiss Granit Xhaka after having his attitude questioned, captaincy stripped off and his future at Arsenal in doubt.

But Xhaka has stood tall and turned it all around by playing a pivotal role in the Arsenal midfield. He leads in terms of passes completed and tackles in the squad, while his willingness to drop back when the fullbacks push forward has helped in the defence as well.

Central midfielder: Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea)

Mateo Kovacic has been Chelsea's unlikely midfield maestro this season.
Mateo Kovacic has been Chelsea's unlikely midfield maestro this season.

Amid the influx of bright young guns in the Chelsea squad this season, Mateo Kovacic's performances have gone under the radar, but he has been top notch.

He's the battering ram who is responsible for breaking opposition play while his dribbling qualities have helped Chelsea get the ball in the attacking third. Despite playing in a more withdrawn role this season, Kovacic has managed to add a couple of goals to his game too.

Attacking midfielder: Mason Mount (Chelsea)

Mason Mount has come of age for Chelsea during his first top-flight season.
Mason Mount has come of age for Chelsea during his first top-flight season.

Despite the topsy-turvy campaign, Chelsea have had many success stories this season, with youth graduates Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Reece James. etc., taking the senior team by storm.

However, Mason Mount is the cream of this crop. He took his time to settle, but after a drought midway, he hit the throttle during the home stretch of the campaign to end his debut season with eight goals and six assists.

Right-winger: Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)

Christian Pulisic has been one of the best Chelsea players after the restart.
Christian Pulisic has been one of the best Chelsea players after the restart.

Christian Pulisic's transition period at Chelsea hit the buffers after his injury midway through the season, but he returned to the side post-lockdown at the top of his game.

The American ace struck four times and made as many assists during that period to play a key role in helping Chelsea to a fourth-place finish. Now guiding the Blues to a FA Cup win after what's been a successful debut campaign would be the icing on the cake for Pulisic.

Left-winger: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)

There's no better Arsenal player at the moment than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
There's no better Arsenal player at the moment than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

No striker has scored more in the Premier League than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ever since he joined Arsenal in January 2018.

And that's something from a player who's so underrated but scored another 22 goals for the season. He shot down reigning champions Manchester City in the semifinals with a compelling double and would be chomping at the bit for the chance to go up against Chelsea's ramshackle defence.

Striker: Oliver Giroud (Chelsea)

Olivier Giroud has been very crucial to Chelsea since the restart.
Olivier Giroud has been very crucial to Chelsea since the restart.

Tammy Abraham is a rising star who's had an amazing breakthrough season, but the in-form Chelsea striker right now is Oliver Giroud.

The former Arsenal player has been on a tear after the restart, netting seven times from 11 games. He was on target against his ex-colleagues in last year's Europa League final too.

Just 14 months on, Giroud looks determined to inflict his old club another major upset.

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Edited by Bhargav