Arteta will battle to keep star
ROUTE TO THE FINAL ARSENAL CHELSEA ARSENAL CHELSEA ARSENAL V CHELSEA – THE MAJOR FINALS
Third round – Jan 6 Leeds (h) 1-0 (Nelson) Lacazette is out to finish on a high after a drop in his goals haul in the top flight Fourth round – Jan 27 Bournemouth (a) 2-1 (Saka, Nketiah) Fifth round – Mar 2 Portsmouth (a) 2-0 (Sokratis, Nketiah) Sixth round – Jun 28 Sheffield United (a) 2-1 (Pepe, Ceballos) Semi-final – July 18 Man City 2-0 (Aubameyang 2) Third round – Jan 5 Forest (h) 2-0 (Hudson-Odoi, Barkley) Fourth round – Jan 25 Hull (a) 2-1 (Batshuayi, Tomori) Fifth round – Mar 3 Liverpool (h) 2-0 (Willian, Barkley) Sixth round – Jun 28 Leicester (a) 1-0 (Barkley) Semi-final – July 19 Man Utd 3-1 (Giroud, Mount, Maguire og) 13 wins – FA Cup record 1930 Arsenal 2 Huddersfield 0 1936 Arsenal 1 Sheffield United 0 1950 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 0 1971 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 (AET) 1979 Arsenal 3 Manchester United 2 1993 Arsenal 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1 (AET); Arsenal 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 (replay) 1998 Arsenal 2 Newcastle 0 2002 Arsenal 2 Chelsea 0 2003 Arsenal 1 Southampton 0 2005 Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 (Arsenal win 5-4 on pens) 2014 Arsenal 3 Hull 2 (AET) 2015 Arsenal 4 Aston Villa 0 2017 Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1 8 wins 1970 Chelsea 2 Leeds 2 (AET); Chelsea 2 Leeds 1 (replay) 1997 Chelsea 2 Middlesbrough 0 2000 Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 0 2007 Chelsea 1 Manchester Utd 0 (AET) 2009 Chelsea 2 Everton 1 2010 Chelsea 1 Portsmouth 0 2012 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1 2018 Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0 AUBAMEYANG: Contract talks
dismissed concerns that today’s match against Chelsea at Wembley would be Aubameyang’s farewell.
The Arsenal manager said: “No, I don’t have that fear. What I said is it’s a package at the end. You need a lot of ingredients on the table to persuade a player of his level to be at this football club.
“Don’t forget that he still has a contract here with us. We wanted to keep him and do it in a more long-term way but at the moment he’s with us and I think he should be really proud of where he is as well.
“If you are wearing the armband and you are able to lift that cup, it’s such a moment – this is going to help, for sure.
“That has a strong link with everything that you want to experience as a player.
“Winning the trophy helps to really believe and feel, ‘Wow, I want to experience more of these moments’.”
Arteta said former boss Arsene Wenger’s influence is still being wielded around the club two years after he retired from the hot seat.
The legendary Frenchman’s former captain said he has been ringing up his mentor for advice in his first few months as Arsenal boss.
However, going into tomorrow’s FA Cup final, Arteta insists it is very much his own work.
He said: “I have not been in touch with him before the final but I have been in touch with him a few times over the previous months.
“It is great to have him on board. He gives you great advice.
“It is great just talking to him. He has such a knowledge and is such an intelligent person. Knowing he is there and is going to be supporting us and supporting me, I feel calmer.
“In football, you can talk about anything to him and you just have to get your book out and take notes.”
WENGER: Still an influence