Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has reserved special praise for Arsenal's Per Mertesacker following his performance in this afternoon's FA Cup final at Wembley.
Mertesacker's only previous first-team football this season had come on the final day of the Premier League campaign last weekend when he was handed a 37-minute cameo against Everton.
However, injuries and suspensions forced Arsene Wenger to include the German in his starting lineup for today's final against Chelsea, and the 32-year-old responded with a towering performance to help Arsenal to a 2-1 victory over the newly-crowned Premier League champions.
"It is not easy but I think that we won the league and it was right to celebrate and enjoy this win. I think that my players put all of themselves into the game, maybe our start wasn't good and the impact and approach wasn't good and Arsenal pushed a lot. We paid for this start," Conte told reporters.
"Per Mertesacker for me is a perfect example for any young professional football player. What he did today was just a consequence of an unbelievable attitude every day, even if not selected, until the Everton game in the squad.
"He played his first game tonight and when he was not selected he worked even harder, which is why I pay a special tribute for him tonight."
Arsenal have now won the FA Cup three times in the last four years and a record 13 times overall.
Barney Corkhill
