MIKEL HOPE FOR PIERRE
the next goal would win it. And so it proved. Hector ector Bellerin’s rampaging runn was halted by Marcos Alonso’s nso’s thumping tackle.
But Pepe worked the loose bal l across to Aubameyang and he fooled Kurt Zouma with th a dip of his shoulder er before lifting a clipped d shot past Caballero.
Kovacic was unlucky y to be sent off for a second challenge on
Xhaka but it simply illustrated Chelsea’s misfortune perfectly.
Mikel Arteta hopes leading Arsenal to another FA Cup triumph will help keep talisman skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang around at the Emirates.
The Gunners captain’s Wembley double saw them come from behind to beat London rivals Chelsea in front of an empty stadium for a famous 14th triumph in the competition.
It earned them a spot in next term’s Europa League and boss Arteta reckons he now has more hope of the striker signing a new deal.
Arteta said: “He knows what I think about him.
“I want to build the squad around him. I think he wants to stay and it is just about getting the deal done.
“But these moments will help him to realise and believe that we are on the right path and he is a big part of that.
“He is loved by everybody at the club. Hopefully he can continue with us.
“Will he extend? I think he will, yes.”
Arteta hailed his side for their comeback victory and added: “It was a difficult start when we conceded so early.
“But if I know something about these players, it’s that we weren’t going to give up. “We then played probably the best 30 minutes since I arrived.
“I am so proud to represent these players and this club.
“It is a double reward for us. It is really important for this club in every way to be in Europe. We all did it – I am so happy.
“The players were completely knackered and they made a massive effort through coronavirus to keep fit. I am so happy for them.”
Jubilant Aubameyang said: “We enjoyed today. We are so happy. As you can see, Emi Martinez is crying. That shows that winning this game and this trophy makes us so happy.
“We deserved this win. Mikel did a great job and we are so happy to have him on board.”
But asked if he could say anything about his future, the Gabon ace added: “Nothing.
“Just today and the trophy. That’s it!”
Emotional keeper Martinez said: “I can’t really talk. I said to Pierre before the game, ‘You are going to win us the game’.”
Aubameyang dropped the trophy as he prepared to lift it and Gunners defender Rob Holding grinned: “I saw him walking with the bottom bit attached and I was like, ‘You need to take that off!’.
“It seems the trend now anyway for people to drop the trophy.
“It took us a while to get used to how they were playing but once we got settled we grew into the first half. Then Auba seems to do it on the break every game. He is our talisman and has done it all season.
“Fourteen FA Cups is crazy. It’s my second in four years!”
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said: “We started well for 10-15 minutes and we can only blame ourselves from that point.
“We got complacent, we took time on the ball like it was a stroll and we allowed them into the game. It’s hard to get back into the game then. A lot of today is on us.
“All I can do from the sidelines is shout.
“There are elements in our game that we have worked hard on all year but that is in you as a group.
“Today we were slow, we played back on ourselves, invited pressure. We simply didn’t play well enough to win a final.”