Arsenal denied Chelsea the chance to win the double by winning the FA Cup final at Wembley through goals from Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey.
The Gunners were superb as they shocked the Premier League champions with an energetic display from start to finish, making them the most successful team in the history of the competition.
Much of the pre-match debate centred around Arsenal’s defence, with injuries to Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel plus Laurent Koscielny’s suspension giving Arsene Wenger a major selection headache.
However, he trusted Per Meretsacker by handing him his first start of the season and stuck with three at the back to execute his game plan to perfection.
Here are our player ratings and a look at the key performers from today’s game at Wembley:
Alexis Sanchez
The man for the big occasion delivered for Arsenal again. Full of quality and tireless throughout the game, the Chilean forward finished coolly in the fourth minute to give the Gunners the early advantage.
From then on, he troubled Victor Moses for much of the afternoon from that left channel, drifting in to space superbly as he has done as an inverted forward since Arsene Wenger switched to a 3-4-3 formation.
Aaron Ramsey
A surprise success in Arsenal’s midfield today, we saw the very best of Aaron Ramsey in an FA Cup final again.
As well as scoring a beautifully-taken header for the winner late on, the Welshman executed his box-to-box role better than he’s managed for a long time.
While he’s not always known for his defensive work, Ramsey got back to stifle Chelsea attacks throughout, as well as joining in at the other end at every opportunity.
Danny Welbeck
Another surprise performer, a few eyebrows will have been raised when Danny Welbeck was selected up front instead of Olivier Giroud.
However, the former Manchester United man’s pace was ideal for stretching Chelsea’s back three, giving David Luiz plenty to think about with his smart movement and energy, barely giving the Blues’ defenders a moment on the ball with his persistent closing down.
Per Mertesacker
For his first start of the season, Per Mertesacker was absolutely superb in this huge game, putting in a true captain’s performance.
The German has been out all season long through injury but didn’t look rusty at all as he played almost a sweeper role in Arsenal’s back three, blocking everything and tidying up whenever the ball came loose.
Diego Costa
Despite scoring a fine equaliser, Diego Costa had one of his more frustrating games for Chelsea and looked rattled by Arsenal’s opener early on.
If this is to be the Spaniard’s final game for the club, they could certainly do better to replace him with someone more able to keep their head on the big occasion, even if his aggression can also be an asset over the course of the season against lesser opposition.
Eden Hazard
For a player who ran away from virtually the entire Arsenal defence in Chelsea’s 3-1 league win at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, the Belgian was so quiet and ineffective today.
Credit must go to Hector Bellerin and Granit Xhaka for doubling up on him well, but Chelsea will be hugely disappointed to see their best player fail to provide a single moment of magic when the double was up for grabs.
MORE : Arsenal win record 13th FA Cup after Aaron Ramsey goal sinks Chelsea at Wembley
MORE : Alexis Sanchez makes history for Arsenal with FA Cup final goal
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