MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 05:25:07| >> :120:12016:12016:
[monks data]
Attendance: 89,472
Arsenal logo
FA Cup | Final
May 27, 2017 at 5.30pm UK
 
Chelsea logo

2-1

Sanchez (5'), Ramsey (79')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Costa (76')

Team News: Per Mertesacker starts for Arsenal

Per Mertesacker returns for Arsenal as they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Per Mertesacker is to make his first start for Arsenal in 13 months as they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley this evening.

As expected, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has demoted first-choice stopper Petr Cech to the bench in favour of David Ospina as he looks to secure the club a record 13th win in the competition and their third victory in four years.

Laurent Koscielny saw red in the 3-1 victory over Everton in the Premier League last weekend and consequently is suspended for the clash, while Gabriel Paulista has been ruled out with a knee injury.

As a result, Rob Holding moves out to the right of a back three, with veteran Mertesacker in the middle and Nacho Monreal playing at left-back.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the lineup, having overcome a hamstring strain, and is joined by Hector Bellerin, Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the park.

Danny Welbeck continues to lead the line with support from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, whose futures at the Emirates look set to be tested this summer as they enter the final year of their contracts.

For Premier League champions Chelsea, meanwhile, Antonio Conte makes three changes from the side that claimed a comfortable 5-1 win over relegated Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.

Pedro is preferred to Willian in the front line alongside Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, while Nemanja Matic usurps Cesc Fabregas in midfield, joining up with Victor Moses, N'Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso.

Retiring captain John Terry is named among the substitutes for his final game with the Blues, with Gary Cahill taking his place in the back three alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz. Thibaut Courtois retains his place between the sticks.

Arsenal: Ospina; Holding, Mertesacker, Monreal; Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alexis, Ozil; Welbeck
Subs: Cech, Elneny, Coquelin, Iwobi, Lucas, Walcott, Giroud

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard
Subs: Begovic, Zouma, Ake, Terry, Fabregas, Willian, Batshuayi

Follow every minute of the action from Wembley this evening with Sports Mole's live text commentary here.

ID:299107: cacheID:299107:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6322:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Per Mertesacker of Arsenal celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League Qualifier 2nd leg match between Arsenal and Besiktas at the Emirates Stadium on August 27, 2014
Read Next:
Mertesacker: 'I've never played in a back three'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!