Arsenal won their record-12th FA Cup title after thrashing Aston Villa 4-0 in a one-sided final at Wembley.
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Despite overcoming Liverpool in the semi-final, Tim Sherwood’s side weren’t able to raise their game against a dominant Gunners outfit.
Arsenal found their stride quickly and dazzled a capacity crowd at the capital stadium with some intricate passing play, high-intensity football and magical off-the-ball movement.
While Villa were poor, with several of their key players anonymous, Arsenal deserve all the credit for striding confidently into the big occasion.
The only surprise of the first half was that it took Arsene Wenger’s side 40 minutes to break the deadlock.
Shay Given and Kieran Richardson had already made excellent blocks before Theo Walcott’s crashing volley.
Any plans Villa had of staying tight in the second period were exploded on 50 minutes when Alexis Sanchez, forging space between the lines, smashed a long-range effort past Given and in off the bar.
The goal was surely one of the finest scored in an FA Cup final and meant that Sanchez became only the second Chilean to score in the competition’s showpiece occasion.
The lethargic Midlands outfit weren’t able to rouse themselves, and, as they slipped into lethargy, Wenger’s side stepped up a gear.
Per Mertesacker made it three on 62 minutes.
Villa could have had a penalty with less than 15 to play, as Francis Coquelin brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor, but Jonathan Moss waved play on.
Finally, Olivier Giroud completed Villa’s humiliation with a 92nd-minute effort.
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