Arsenal vs. Chelsea – FA Cup Final Preview
Where: Wembley Stadium – London, England
When: Saturday, May 27, 2017, 12:15 PM ET
Line: Arsenal (+319) vs. Chelsea (-137), tie +240; total 2.5 – view all FA Cup lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
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Betting on Arsenal (+319)
Arsenal are back in the FA Cup final for a record 20th time, breaking their tie with Manchester United. They also have the chance reclaim sole possession of the record for FA Cup titles, which they also share with United at 12, if they beat London rivals Chelsea. Arsenal have won each of their last five FA Cup finals and eight of their last nine, including a 2-0 win over Chelsea back in 2002.
Despite missing out on Champions League football for the first time in the Arsene Wenger era, the Gunners ended the season strong with five consecutive wins. However, their 3-1 home win over Everton in the final day of the season came at quite a cost.
Not only will captain Laurent Koscielny be suspended for the final after picking up an early red card against Everton, but top scorer Alexis Sanchez picked up a knock on his hamstring and is now a doubt for Wembley. Meanwhile, Gabriel was also stretchered off with an injury. However, defenders Shkodran Mustafi and Kieran Gibbs should both be fit for the final after missing out against Everton.
Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat of Chelsea earlier in the season famously forced the eventual champions to change their formation to a back 3. The Gunners, though, have also adopted a similar formation, which has been a factor in their good late-season form. By mirroring Chelsea’s formation, Arsenal could stand a decent chance of neutralizing the champions’ prolific attack once again.
Betting on Chelsea (-137)
After pretty comfortably sealing their second Premier League title in three years, Chelsea will now have their sights set on doing the double. The Blues won their last six league games to stave off the challenge of second-place Tottenham, whom they also beat in the FA Cup semifinal.
Despite going down early, Chelsea managed to recover and beat bottom club Sunderland 5-1 in their season finale. Willian, Eden Hazard, and Pedro all got on the scoresheet, while Michy Batshuayi added two in the final minutes.
Batshuayi has certainly made the most of his chances to play recently. He’s now scored four goals in his last three games, and could be a dangerous impact substitute in the FA Cup if needed.
This final could be star striker Diego Costa’s last game for Chelsea, as he’s long been rumored to be on his way to China. But he will definitely cherish one last matchup with Arsenal, a team he has tormented during his time in England.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s terrific defense should be favored to put the clamps on Arsenal, especially if Sanchez doesn’t pass fit. Prior to this season, Arsene Wenger’s side had failed to score in seven consecutive competitive matches against Chelsea.
Writer’s Prediction
Chelsea (-137) complete the double with a 2-0 win over Arsenal.
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