Arsenal have thrashed Aston Villa to win the FA Cup, the world's oldest football tournament, for the second successive year and for a record 12th time. It is the eighth time that a team has retained the famous old trophy.
The London giants found it too easy against their Birmingham rivals, who barely showed up, to produce the most one-sided scoreline in an FA Cup Final for over 20 years.
Arsenal's 4-0 victory is the first time a team has been victorious by a margin of more than three goals in an FA Cup Final since Manchester United beat Chelsea 4-0 in the 1994 Final. It's also the first time since 2004 that the FA Cup Final has been won by a margin of more than one goal.
Arsenal were absolutely brilliant, with the Londoners showing that, on their day, they can be one of the most dangerous sides in Europe and they thoroughly deserved to win this grand old lady of football tournaments, which pre-dates troubled FIFA.
Aston Villa couldn’t even harry and hustle Arsenal. At no stage did they disrupt their steady flow of passing.
They did have a couple of marginal penalty claims at the end, but for the most part it was desperate stuff. All they could do was stand back and admire the Gunners at their scintillating best, including a sublime goal from the once-again brilliant Alexis Sanchez.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has been the longest-serving manager in English football since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as Manchester United manager in 2013, has now won a joint-record sixth FA Cup, which puts him level with, ironically, George Ramsay, manager of Aston Villa between 1884 and 1926.
Also, spare a thought for poor Prince William. He is a huge Aston Villa fan, so not only did he have to witness his side's abject performance yesterday but, as FA President, he also had to hand Arsenal the trophy at the end.
Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa: Alexis Sanchez steals show with 25-yard stunner as Arsene Wenger's side hit Villa for four to retain FA Cup and become first team to win trophy 12 times
Arsenal retain the FA Cup after 4-0 victory against Aston Villa at Wembley
Theo Walcott gives Arsenal 1-0 lead with stunning volley just five minutes before half-time
Alexis Sanchez fires Gunners into commanding 2-0 lead with superb long-range strike
German defender Per Mertesacker all but seals victory for Arsene Wenger's side with 61st minute header
Substitute Olivier Giroud scores late on to condemn Villa to 4-0 FA Cup final defeat
CLICK HERE to read Joe Bernstein's full player ratings
By Rob Draper for MailOnline
31 May 2015
Daily Mail
FA Cup Final (at Wembley; att: 89,283)
Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa
Walcott 40, Sanchez 50, Mertesacker 61, Giroud 90+3
MATCH FACTS
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 6.5, Bellerin 7, Mertesacker 6.5, Koscielny 7, Monreal 7, Coquelin 6.5, Cazorla 7, Ramsey 7, Ozil 7 (Wilshere 76), Sanchez 8.5 (Oxlade-Chamberlin 90), Walcott 7 (Giroud 76)
Subs not used: Gibbs, Gabriel, Ospina, Flamini
Goals: Walcott 40, Sanchez 50, Mertesacker 61, Giroud 90+3
Manager: Arsene Wenger 7.5
Aston Villa (4-3-3): Given 6, Hutton 5.5, Okore 6, Vlaar 6, Richardson 6.5 (Bacuna 67), Cleverley 5.5, Westwood 5.5 (Sanchez 70), Delph 5.5, N'Zogbia 5 (Agbonlahor 52 5), Benteke 5, Grealish 5
Subs not used: Guzan, Baker, Sinclair, Cole
Booked: Cleverley, Hutton, Delph, Agbonlahor
Manager: Tim Sherwood 5.5
Referee: Jon Moss
*Player ratings by JOE BERNSTEIN at Wembley
Stiff upper lip: FA President and Aston Villa fan Prince William looked as if he didn't want to present the trophy to Arsenal after the match
But he still performed the task wonderfully
This is why they call it the Beautiful Game: See Alexis Sanchez's superb strike which made it 2-0 to Arsenal - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DQLglWCsGJk
It was less an FA Cup final, more an exhibition. Sometimes, the battered old competition provides a showcase end-of-season finale which reminds you of all that was once good about the English game.
On this occasion it simply demonstrated how far the elite have moved away from the rest and how implausible it sometimes seems even to consider matching them.
Only one of the clubs at Wembley had won the European Cup and yet, such are the finances of the Champions League era, that team barely had a kick.
Arsenal celebrate winning the FA Cup for a record-breaking 12th time after beating Aston Villa 4-0 at Wembley on Saturday
Arsenal lift the FA Cup trophy after the Gunners beat Villa with goals from Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud
Gabby Agbonlahor (centre) sinks to his haunches at the final whistle as Villa's 4-0 FA Cup final defeat is confirmed
Theo Walcott, who sent the London side on their way with a superb volley in the first half, roars with delight after the final whistle
Veteran goalkeeper Shay Given (left) makes a stunning save from Laurent Koscielny's powerful header shortly before Walcott's goal
Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey came close to handing Arsenal a 1-0 lead but blazed his effort over the bar from eight-yards out
The midfielder watches his effort fly over Shay Given's bar as Arsenal saw a number of early chances come and go
Walcott thought he'd done enough to give Arsenal the lead with this close range effort before Kieran Richardson's (left) block
The 26-year-old looks on in disbelief as Richardson gets the block in to keep the scores level during the first 45 minutes
The England international finally breaks the deadlock as he rifles Arsene Wenger's side into a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes
Given is unable to stop Walcott's powerful volley as Arsenal finally made the most of a dominant first half display
Walcott wheels away in celebration of the stunning opening strike as Arsenal take a 1-0 lead into the break
Arsenal fans celebrate Walcott's goal as the Gunners star sprints towards the corner, closely followed by Ramsey and Hector Bellerin
The London giants found it too easy against their Birmingham rivals, who barely showed up, to produce the most one-sided scoreline in an FA Cup Final for over 20 years.
Arsenal's 4-0 victory is the first time a team has been victorious by a margin of more than three goals in an FA Cup Final since Manchester United beat Chelsea 4-0 in the 1994 Final. It's also the first time since 2004 that the FA Cup Final has been won by a margin of more than one goal.
Arsenal were absolutely brilliant, with the Londoners showing that, on their day, they can be one of the most dangerous sides in Europe and they thoroughly deserved to win this grand old lady of football tournaments, which pre-dates troubled FIFA.
Aston Villa couldn’t even harry and hustle Arsenal. At no stage did they disrupt their steady flow of passing.
They did have a couple of marginal penalty claims at the end, but for the most part it was desperate stuff. All they could do was stand back and admire the Gunners at their scintillating best, including a sublime goal from the once-again brilliant Alexis Sanchez.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has been the longest-serving manager in English football since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as Manchester United manager in 2013, has now won a joint-record sixth FA Cup, which puts him level with, ironically, George Ramsay, manager of Aston Villa between 1884 and 1926.
Also, spare a thought for poor Prince William. He is a huge Aston Villa fan, so not only did he have to witness his side's abject performance yesterday but, as FA President, he also had to hand Arsenal the trophy at the end.
Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa: Alexis Sanchez steals show with 25-yard stunner as Arsene Wenger's side hit Villa for four to retain FA Cup and become first team to win trophy 12 times
Arsenal retain the FA Cup after 4-0 victory against Aston Villa at Wembley
Theo Walcott gives Arsenal 1-0 lead with stunning volley just five minutes before half-time
Alexis Sanchez fires Gunners into commanding 2-0 lead with superb long-range strike
German defender Per Mertesacker all but seals victory for Arsene Wenger's side with 61st minute header
Substitute Olivier Giroud scores late on to condemn Villa to 4-0 FA Cup final defeat
CLICK HERE to read Joe Bernstein's full player ratings
By Rob Draper for MailOnline
31 May 2015
Daily Mail
FA Cup Final (at Wembley; att: 89,283)
Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa
Walcott 40, Sanchez 50, Mertesacker 61, Giroud 90+3
MATCH FACTS
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 6.5, Bellerin 7, Mertesacker 6.5, Koscielny 7, Monreal 7, Coquelin 6.5, Cazorla 7, Ramsey 7, Ozil 7 (Wilshere 76), Sanchez 8.5 (Oxlade-Chamberlin 90), Walcott 7 (Giroud 76)
Subs not used: Gibbs, Gabriel, Ospina, Flamini
Goals: Walcott 40, Sanchez 50, Mertesacker 61, Giroud 90+3
Manager: Arsene Wenger 7.5
Aston Villa (4-3-3): Given 6, Hutton 5.5, Okore 6, Vlaar 6, Richardson 6.5 (Bacuna 67), Cleverley 5.5, Westwood 5.5 (Sanchez 70), Delph 5.5, N'Zogbia 5 (Agbonlahor 52 5), Benteke 5, Grealish 5
Subs not used: Guzan, Baker, Sinclair, Cole
Booked: Cleverley, Hutton, Delph, Agbonlahor
Manager: Tim Sherwood 5.5
Referee: Jon Moss
*Player ratings by JOE BERNSTEIN at Wembley
Stiff upper lip: FA President and Aston Villa fan Prince William looked as if he didn't want to present the trophy to Arsenal after the match
But he still performed the task wonderfully
This is why they call it the Beautiful Game: See Alexis Sanchez's superb strike which made it 2-0 to Arsenal - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DQLglWCsGJk
It was less an FA Cup final, more an exhibition. Sometimes, the battered old competition provides a showcase end-of-season finale which reminds you of all that was once good about the English game.
On this occasion it simply demonstrated how far the elite have moved away from the rest and how implausible it sometimes seems even to consider matching them.
Only one of the clubs at Wembley had won the European Cup and yet, such are the finances of the Champions League era, that team barely had a kick.
Arsenal celebrate winning the FA Cup for a record-breaking 12th time after beating Aston Villa 4-0 at Wembley on Saturday
Arsenal lift the FA Cup trophy after the Gunners beat Villa with goals from Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud
Veteran goalkeeper Shay Given (left) makes a stunning save from Laurent Koscielny's powerful header shortly before Walcott's goal
Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey came close to handing Arsenal a 1-0 lead but blazed his effort over the bar from eight-yards out
The 26-year-old looks on in disbelief as Richardson gets the block in to keep the scores level during the first 45 minutes
The England international finally breaks the deadlock as he rifles Arsene Wenger's side into a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes
Given is unable to stop Walcott's powerful volley as Arsenal finally made the most of a dominant first half display
Walcott wheels away in celebration of the stunning opening strike as Arsenal take a 1-0 lead into the break
Arsenal fans celebrate Walcott's goal as the Gunners star sprints towards the corner, closely followed by Ramsey and Hector Bellerin
Aston Villa couldn’t even harry and hustle Arsenal. At no stage did they disrupt their steady flow of passing.
They did have a couple of marginal penalty claims at the end, but for the most part it was desperate stuff. All they could do was stand back and admire.
It is hard to remember a more one-sided FA Cup final. Millwall lost to Manchester United 3-0 in 2004 but they were true underdogs, from what was then known as the First Division; Chelsea’s 4-0 defeat 21 years ago to United is probably the benchmark for humiliations of this size.
Neither Arsene Wenger, nor Arsenal, should greatly care. The club are celebrating a record 12th FA Cup win in the 143 years of the competition. Half of those have come under Wenger, himself equalling the record for a manager, an extraordinary achievement for the Frenchman who arrived almost unknown in our game 19 years ago.
A more recent addition to our shores, Alexis Sanchez, was simply magnificent and delivered a goal worthy of the famous old trophy; Santi Cazorla capped a wonderful season with a display of authority and grace.
Francis Coquelin, struggling at Charlton six months ago, was his willing partner in midfield; Theo Walcott, selected up front, missed a few but scored a delightful opener while Mesut Ozil mesmerised at will.
You could go on. In every position that mattered, Arsenal were simply far better than their opponents. Only Shay Given might out-score Wojciech Szczesny, on account of the Pole having barely a save to make.
‘I don’t know if it was my best final but it was a convincing one, because we were at it from the first to the last minute,’ said Wenger afterwards. ‘I never felt that the focus dropped or the quality dropped.’
Yet having been given a second or two to relish his victory, the questions quickly moved on to next season.
Having ended a nine-year trophy hiatus with two FA Cups in two seasons, the Premier League title remains the acid test.
‘Of course I think we can push on,’ Wenger said. ‘Why not? We have won the League in the past when we had the potential to do it and that’s what we want to do again.’
If there are signs of progress — and remember they finished further behind the champions than they were this time last year — it is in the balance of their midfield.
Cazorla and Coquelin shone. Both have been transformed into excellent holding midfielders this season; one from a Charlton reserve and the other from a mercurial winger or No 10. From the very start, they ran the game.
‘They deserved to win the game, no arguments about that,’ said a despondent Tim Sherwood. ‘They have outstanding world-class footballers and today we couldn’t nullify their threat. We didn’t manage to impose ourselves on them either. It was quite obvious they had their own way today and dominated.
‘I don’t think we played particularly well, if I’m honest. I think there’s more to come from our team. But you have to give Arsenal credit — they didn’t let us play.’
If it took 40 minutes to breach Villa’s goal, the inevitability of it had been clear long before then. Alan Hutton and Tom Cleverley picked up first-half cautions attempting tactical fouls while Christian Benteke should have joined them.
The chances were many and varied, though only at one end.
Given parried away a header from Laurent Koscielny on 16 minutes; Aaron Ramsey drove into the side netting two minutes later; Ramsey shot over after a delightful Ozil pass on 20 minutes; Kieran Richardson somehow blocked Walcott from six yards five minutes later.
In the end it fell to Walcott to provide the breakthrough five minutes before the interval. He had started at centre forward but moved wide left to start the move that would result in his goal, releasing Nacho Monreal, who crossed for Sanchez.
The Chilean rose above Richardson, heading the ball across goal and Walcott fairly plucked it from the air with a majestically-timed left-footed volley which flew past Given.
About the only thing Villa had to cling on to by half-time was the fact that it at least remained only 1-0.
Within five minutes of the resumption, even that shred of comfort had been taken away from them by Sanchez. He twisted one way, away from Hutton, and then another, seemingly in one movement but still 30 yards out and with Cleverley closing in, there seemed little tangible danger.
Yet the swerving, dipping shot he unleashed was bulging the back of the net almost before Given had moved.
Sherwood threw on Gabby Agbonlahor. It was a token gesture rather than a rallying cry.
And when, on 62 minutes, Per Mertesacker rose to meet a Cazorla corner, only nominally marked by Benteke, and nodded the third goal you feared for Villa.
As it was they endured, surviving a couple of Walcott missed chances until the final kick of the game, when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crossed for Olivier Giroud to tap in at the near post.
It was a final indignity for Villa, a fitting finale for Wenger.
It is only the eighth time a team has retained the FA Cup.
Here are all the occasions it has been done:
1872 FA Cup Final (the very first one): Wanderers 1-0 Royal Engineers (The Oval cricket ground)
1873 FA Cup Final: Wanderers 2-0 Oxford University (at Lillie Bridge; near Stamford Bridge)
1890 FA Cup Final: Blackburn Rovers 6-1 The Wednesday (they became officially known as Sheffield Wednesday in 1929 but were often called that as early as 1883) (at the Oval cricket ground)
1891 FA Cup Final: Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Notts County (at the Oval cricket ground)
1951 FA Cup Final: Newcastle United 2-0 Blackpool (at Wembley)
1952 FA Cup Final: Newcastle United 1-0 Arsenal (at Wembley)
1961 FA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Leicester City (at Wembley)
1962 FA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Burnley (at Wembley)
1981 FA Cup Final (the 100th): Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester City (at Wembley) Replay: Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Manchester City (at Wembley)
1982 FA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 QPR (at Wembley) Replay: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 QPR (at Wembley)
2002 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea (Millennium Stadium)
2003 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 1-0 Southampton (Millennium Stadium)
2009 FA Cup Final: Chelsea 2-1 Everton (at Wembley)
2010 FA Cup Final: Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth (at Wembley)
2014 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 3-2 Hull City (aet) (at Wembley)
2015 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa (at Wembley)
Walcott gave Arsenal the lead following a good knockdown from Sanchez (17) - CLICK HERE for more from our brilliant Match Zone
Villa youngster Jack Grealish (right) stretches for the ball, but is just beaten to it by Gunners defender Koscielny
Alexis Sanchez watches on as his thunderous strike swerves past Given in the Villa goal to give Wenger's side a 2-0 advantage
39-year-old stopper Given look back as Sanchez's stunning strike flies into the back of the net during the early stages of the second half
The Gunners striker jumps for joy in front of the disappointed Villa fans as Arsenal inch closer to another FA Cup final victory
Arsenal built from the back before Sanchez fired them into a 2-0 lead - CLICK HERE to see more from out brilliant Match Zone service
They did have a couple of marginal penalty claims at the end, but for the most part it was desperate stuff. All they could do was stand back and admire.
It is hard to remember a more one-sided FA Cup final. Millwall lost to Manchester United 3-0 in 2004 but they were true underdogs, from what was then known as the First Division; Chelsea’s 4-0 defeat 21 years ago to United is probably the benchmark for humiliations of this size.
Neither Arsene Wenger, nor Arsenal, should greatly care. The club are celebrating a record 12th FA Cup win in the 143 years of the competition. Half of those have come under Wenger, himself equalling the record for a manager, an extraordinary achievement for the Frenchman who arrived almost unknown in our game 19 years ago.
A more recent addition to our shores, Alexis Sanchez, was simply magnificent and delivered a goal worthy of the famous old trophy; Santi Cazorla capped a wonderful season with a display of authority and grace.
Francis Coquelin, struggling at Charlton six months ago, was his willing partner in midfield; Theo Walcott, selected up front, missed a few but scored a delightful opener while Mesut Ozil mesmerised at will.
You could go on. In every position that mattered, Arsenal were simply far better than their opponents. Only Shay Given might out-score Wojciech Szczesny, on account of the Pole having barely a save to make.
‘I don’t know if it was my best final but it was a convincing one, because we were at it from the first to the last minute,’ said Wenger afterwards. ‘I never felt that the focus dropped or the quality dropped.’
Yet having been given a second or two to relish his victory, the questions quickly moved on to next season.
Having ended a nine-year trophy hiatus with two FA Cups in two seasons, the Premier League title remains the acid test.
‘Of course I think we can push on,’ Wenger said. ‘Why not? We have won the League in the past when we had the potential to do it and that’s what we want to do again.’
If there are signs of progress — and remember they finished further behind the champions than they were this time last year — it is in the balance of their midfield.
Cazorla and Coquelin shone. Both have been transformed into excellent holding midfielders this season; one from a Charlton reserve and the other from a mercurial winger or No 10. From the very start, they ran the game.
‘They deserved to win the game, no arguments about that,’ said a despondent Tim Sherwood. ‘They have outstanding world-class footballers and today we couldn’t nullify their threat. We didn’t manage to impose ourselves on them either. It was quite obvious they had their own way today and dominated.
‘I don’t think we played particularly well, if I’m honest. I think there’s more to come from our team. But you have to give Arsenal credit — they didn’t let us play.’
If it took 40 minutes to breach Villa’s goal, the inevitability of it had been clear long before then. Alan Hutton and Tom Cleverley picked up first-half cautions attempting tactical fouls while Christian Benteke should have joined them.
The chances were many and varied, though only at one end.
Given parried away a header from Laurent Koscielny on 16 minutes; Aaron Ramsey drove into the side netting two minutes later; Ramsey shot over after a delightful Ozil pass on 20 minutes; Kieran Richardson somehow blocked Walcott from six yards five minutes later.
In the end it fell to Walcott to provide the breakthrough five minutes before the interval. He had started at centre forward but moved wide left to start the move that would result in his goal, releasing Nacho Monreal, who crossed for Sanchez.
The Chilean rose above Richardson, heading the ball across goal and Walcott fairly plucked it from the air with a majestically-timed left-footed volley which flew past Given.
About the only thing Villa had to cling on to by half-time was the fact that it at least remained only 1-0.
Within five minutes of the resumption, even that shred of comfort had been taken away from them by Sanchez. He twisted one way, away from Hutton, and then another, seemingly in one movement but still 30 yards out and with Cleverley closing in, there seemed little tangible danger.
Yet the swerving, dipping shot he unleashed was bulging the back of the net almost before Given had moved.
Sherwood threw on Gabby Agbonlahor. It was a token gesture rather than a rallying cry.
And when, on 62 minutes, Per Mertesacker rose to meet a Cazorla corner, only nominally marked by Benteke, and nodded the third goal you feared for Villa.
As it was they endured, surviving a couple of Walcott missed chances until the final kick of the game, when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crossed for Olivier Giroud to tap in at the near post.
It was a final indignity for Villa, a fitting finale for Wenger.
It is only the eighth time a team has retained the FA Cup.
Here are all the occasions it has been done:
1872 FA Cup Final (the very first one): Wanderers 1-0 Royal Engineers (The Oval cricket ground)
1873 FA Cup Final: Wanderers 2-0 Oxford University (at Lillie Bridge; near Stamford Bridge)
1890 FA Cup Final: Blackburn Rovers 6-1 The Wednesday (they became officially known as Sheffield Wednesday in 1929 but were often called that as early as 1883) (at the Oval cricket ground)
1891 FA Cup Final: Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Notts County (at the Oval cricket ground)
1951 FA Cup Final: Newcastle United 2-0 Blackpool (at Wembley)
1952 FA Cup Final: Newcastle United 1-0 Arsenal (at Wembley)
1961 FA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Leicester City (at Wembley)
1962 FA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Burnley (at Wembley)
1981 FA Cup Final (the 100th): Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester City (at Wembley) Replay: Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Manchester City (at Wembley)
1982 FA Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 QPR (at Wembley) Replay: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 QPR (at Wembley)
2002 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea (Millennium Stadium)
2003 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 1-0 Southampton (Millennium Stadium)
2009 FA Cup Final: Chelsea 2-1 Everton (at Wembley)
2010 FA Cup Final: Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth (at Wembley)
2014 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 3-2 Hull City (aet) (at Wembley)
2015 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa (at Wembley)
Walcott gave Arsenal the lead following a good knockdown from Sanchez (17) - CLICK HERE for more from our brilliant Match Zone
Villa youngster Jack Grealish (right) stretches for the ball, but is just beaten to it by Gunners defender Koscielny
Alexis Sanchez watches on as his thunderous strike swerves past Given in the Villa goal to give Wenger's side a 2-0 advantage
39-year-old stopper Given look back as Sanchez's stunning strike flies into the back of the net during the early stages of the second half
The Gunners striker jumps for joy in front of the disappointed Villa fans as Arsenal inch closer to another FA Cup final victory
Arsenal built from the back before Sanchez fired them into a 2-0 lead - CLICK HERE to see more from out brilliant Match Zone service
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny looks to the sky as the Polish star celebrates his side's second goal
German defender Per Mertesacker heads Arsenal into a 3-0 lead after beating Villa striker Benteke in the air
The 30-year-old German international sprints towards the sidelines as his goal all but secures Arsenal's FA Cup final victory on Saturday
Mertesesacker slides towardsCazorla in celebration as Villa boss Sherwood (right) puts his hands on his head in disappointment
One Arsenal fan shows off an FA Cup trophy painted on his chest as the Gunners faithful celebrate a brilliant day at Wembley
Substitute striker Olivier Giroud came on to tap Arsenal into a 4-0 lead three minutes into injury time before his side lifted the famous trophy
The 28-year-old Fenchman looks towards the Villa fans as Given sits on the floor and Arsenal secure another FA Cup final victory
FA President Prince William (left), an Aston Villa fan, shakes hands with Villa boss Sherwood ahead of the 5.30pm kick-off at Wembley
Read more: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa: Alexis Sanchez steals show with 25-yard stunner as Arsene Wenger's side hit Villa for four | Daily Mail Online
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Read more: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa: Alexis Sanchez steals show with 25-yard stunner as Arsene Wenger's side hit Villa for four | Daily Mail Online
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