FA Cup Final Preview: Arsenal out for pride while Chelsea believes it’s the start of something special

Arsenal and Chelsea will face off each other in the final of the 2020 FA Cup at an empty Wembley stadium on 1st August (KO – 10:00 pm IST). The silverware showdown between the London teams will be the first time ever in the history of the world’s oldest football competition where the final has been held with no fans in attendance. As we head into what promises to be a mouth watering final, here’s our little preview for the final

Arsenal Corner : The Greats have truly Fallen
When Arsene Wenger left his beloved club Arsenal in 2018 after 21 extremely successful years at the helm, the Gunners thought they were making the right decision; cutting ties with the Frenchman who was an emotional deadweight dragging the club down. Arsenal finished a lowly 6th that season, two places off the Champions League spots and Spanish tactician Unai Emery was brought in to take the club back to challenging titles.

But, just two years on, the club have already sacked Emery, romantically appointed former player Mikel Arteta and find themselves finish 8th in the table. Their worst league finish in more than two decades. While the FA cup will be massive for the North London side, Arteta well and truly knows there’s more than just a cup at stake with the ticket for the Europa League also up for grabs. Missing out on European football will come at too high a financial cost for the Gunners and Arteta might be looking at the Cup as a mere bonus with his eyes set on the real prize; a berth in the European second tier. Oh, how the greats have fallen!

Chelsea’s corner: Frank’s cooking something special
Frank Lampard walked into Chelsea with a tied hand as UEFA imposed a transfer embargo on the club. A former player with little managerial experience coming back to a club that was in its own little rut, no one saw Lampard surviving at Chelsea beyond the honeymoon period.

Stupendously though, Lampard has did an excellent job at his former club with an extremely young squad comprised mostly of Chelsea’s academy products. They finished fourth in Premier League sealing their qualification to the Champions League next season and come into the final with sky high confidence. If we are to make anything of Chelsea’s recent splurge of cash in the transfer market, it is that they really mean business. And Lampard will be eager to kick off a new era at Chelsea as a manager by winning the FA cup on Saturday.

Neutral corner
Chelsea and Arsenal both have brimming talent and incision up front but their defences can easily fall apart like a house of cards. With Arteta and Lampard both advocates of possession and attacking football, neutral fans will be in for a cracking final which promises loads of goals.

Ukhurl Times Prediction
A high scoring Final with Arsenal just about edging their West London rivals courtesy of Martinez’s heroics between the sticks.