Arsenal crush Aston Villa to win FA Cup final 2015: as it happened - Telegraph Football Live Blogs Arsenal crush Aston Villa to win FA Cup final 2015: as it happened Arsenal v Aston Villa in the FA Cup final - reaction to Gunners' 4-0 win, news and updates from Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 3, 2015, kick-off 17.30 BST (live TV coverage on BBC One and BT Sport 1) TEAMS • FA Cup final player ratings: Sanchez and Cazorla light up Wembley 20.55 That's me done for the day. I'll leave the last word to the FA, seeing as it's their competition and all: .

@Arsenal #FACupFinal winners 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015 #record pic.twitter.com/fLzohd81kR — The FA (@FA) May 30, 2015 Thanks very much for reading, I'm off to see if I can get a free drink from Arsene Wenger. Goodnight! 20.25 — Per Mertesacker (@mertesacker) May 30, 2015 20.23 Arsene Wenger, watching the pennies: Wenger on buying players: "I am not in a buying mood tonight.

I will buy drinks for my players." #afc — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 30, 2015 20.14 Tim Sherwood has finally unlocked the Aston Villa dressing-room door and faced the media: Sherwood on #afc : "They were outstanding, world-class footballers. They dominated the match. I feel sick. So do the ( #avfc ) boys." — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 30, 2015 Sherwood on #avfc players: "I need to change their mentality because they've got used to losing matches.

That’s not a good habit to have." — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 30, 2015 Sherwood: "Some of the boys have been told they will not be here next year and they can go and find other clubs." — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 30, 2015 20.12 John Percy's Wembley player ratings are in - and it makes great reading if your name is Alexis Sanchez; less so should you be called Charles N'Zogbia: Alexis Sanchez Five goals in four appearances at Wembley now for the £33 million forward and this strike was astonishing, to be replayed for years. Singled out for physical attention from Villa but never stopped wanting the ball. 20.08 This man is Arsenal's most famous supporter and nobody seems to know why : Just had the #FACup done on my chest and now on my way to @wembleystadium .

??#COYG #AFCvAVFC @Arsenal @arsenalfantv pic.twitter.com/hEI3S4471Y — Bully Arsenal (@MrBullyArsenal) May 30, 2015 20.04 Just how long is it since your team won a trophy? Well, we have computers here at the Telegraph and we've made them work it all out . Some highlights - Arsenal have gone 24 minutes without a trophy, Chelsea a whole 27 days and 3 hours, it's been two years and 37 days for Manchester United....and a shade under half a century since Hull City claimed the old Division Three title. Knowledge, eh? 19.58 After a trying, even dispiriting, week for football, Henry Winter writes that Arsenal reminded us all of the joys the game still offers : After the stench of the Fifa Congress, this FA Cup final came as a welcome breath of fresh air. After the shameless grandstanding in Zurich of the most dangerous man in world football, Sepp Blatter, true football folk congregated at Wembley.

Many of those flocking to support Walcott, Sanchez, Mertesacker and company wore yellow ribbons, harking back to 1971 when they first donned yellow in the Cup final, a game made memorable by Charlie George’s goal and celebration. As Blatter thinks only of the politics and the power, the dollars and the votes, Arsenal supporters were reveling in their history – by George - and in their present embodied by Walcott, Sanchez and Mertesacker. Such emotions and qualities cannot be quantified. Just because Blatter is in charge of world football doesn’t mean that everything in the game has to have a price-tag attached. These Wembley goals meant everything to Walcott, Sanchez and Mertesacker. 19.45 The legacy of Jack Grealish's first glimpse of football's biggest stages: All I could think of during the #FACupFinal pic.twitter.com/BrukdkqVxY — Tokyo Sexwhale (@tokyo_sexwhale) May 30, 2015 19.37 Up goes the trophy, out comes the glitter, and on comes "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield. Tradition.

19.36 Arsenal are about to lift the cup for the 12th time. Jason Burt's match report is in, meanwhile: This was a cuffed final more than a Cup final. Arsenal were so utterly dominant; Aston Villa so easily beaten that the 134th FA Cup final was a no-contest, a mis-match on an embarrassing scale for the claret and blue. 19.34 As the dejected Villa players climbs those steps for their losers' medals, here's our Jeremy Wilson with the five things he learned from the final - he says Arsene Wenger has earned his place among the greats. Two doubles and an unbeaten season are not easily surpassed but he also now stands clear of Sir Alex Ferguson among every modern-day manager with a sixth FA Cup win. More significant still is the sense that Wenger himself is back. Trophies in consecutive years is a powerful answer to those who so emphatically dismissed the feat of staying in the Champions League while building a new stadium. His authority and wider standing with the supporters is also on the up for the first time in perhaps a decade. The next two challenges are obvious.

Winning a first Champions League and establishing a meaningful rivalry with Jose Mourinho at the very top of the Premier League. 19.31 Another look at that goal from Alexis Sanchez, which was basically Roberto Di Matteo's famous Cup final goal, but on steroids: 19.27 Arsene Wenger speaks: We showed today we are a real team, we can deal with pressure. I had a difficult week - difficult decisions to make, from the keeper to the centre-forward. I'm very proud that our club is doing well - if I'm personally doing well, it's even better! Full time Arsenal have won the FA Cup for the 12th time Arsene Wenger also breaks a record - that's his sixth FA Cup win as a manager, and certainly one of the easiest. Theo Walcott - who always speaks very well after matches - is on the BBC, and says "this team is blessed...and this is massive for me." GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa (Giroud 90 min + 3) Wilshere feeds Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose low cross is easily converted by Giroud at the near post.

That'll soften the blow of being left out of the staring eleven. 90 min +2 Into the second of three added minutes. The first time Arsenal have dropped their work-rate, as they see this one out. Cue obligatory shot of.... 90 min There's a glimpse of a chance for Grealish, and then Agbonlahor, but Arsenal won't show any mercy here. The superb Alexis Sanchez is granted a standing ovation as he goes off to be replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. 88 min A lesson for any youngsters watching: Lesson to defenders watching #FACupFinal : sometimes you've got to stand up and take the ball full in the face for your team #whateverittakes — Paul Lake (@Paul_Lake) May 30, 2015 86 min Another penalty shout for Villa - Grealish is dragged down in the area, but Moss is again unmoved. Sherwood this time is furious. 84 min Some unbridled Arsenal joy. Those are Mertesacker's legs poking out of that pile of celebrating bodies: 80 min Francis Coquelin bundles Agbonlahor over on the edge of the box, but the referee waves play on.

At first glance, it looked like a penalty, but - in all honesty - it makes not a jot of difference. Sherwood is unlikely to complain, either. 78 min Ramsey wants a goal - he slaloms into the Villa box, but overplays it. Arsenal are still piling forward for another to complete Sherwood's misery. 76 min Theo Walcott is found by a lovely curling through-ball from Ramsey, and he he goes for the emphatic sidefoot into the car corner....but fluffs it. His afternoon is over - Olivier Giroud replaces him - but it's been a job well done. Mesut Ozil has also been replaced by Jack Wilshere. 74 min While the first half raced through on pure adrenaline, this second period has skipped along happily for Arsenal - just 15 minutes or so left for Villa to endure before they claim their runners-up medals. 72 min Alexis Sanchez, as usual, is still scrapping for every ball as if Arsenal are a goal down. He's had a great season, and given Wenger's side a great big dose of something they've traditionally lacked in recent seasons: bottle.

70 min Villa make their third and final change - Ashley Westwood is replaced by Carlos Sanchez. Grealish is going to get a character-building 90 minutes here. 68 min Leandro Bacuna replaces the injured Kieran Richardson, who probably didn't want to experience much more of this. Nor does this chap, by the looks of it: 67 min The Villa fans have been dumbfounded into silence, while the Arsenal faithful are in party mood. The FA Cup holders have had 14 shots to Villa's solitary one. 65 min Gary Lineker rubs it in a bit: If only Paul Lambert was still in charge. — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 30, 2015 GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa (Mertesacker 61 min) Painfully simple for Arsenal, just painful for Aston Villa. In comes the Cazorla corner from the right, Benteke loses the big German and he...actually, he shoulders it into the corner and Arsenal's ribbons can sfaely stay tied to the cup - this is done and dusted.

61 min A noted expert on goalscoring writes: &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Francis Benali - What a strike!! ð&amp;amp;Yuml;&amp;amp;lsquo;&amp;amp;Yuml;ð&amp;amp;Yuml;&amp;amp;rsquo;¥â&amp;amp;scaron;½ï¸ &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#FACupFinal&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 59 min Arsenal fans are enjoying Theo Walcott's resurgence : 57 min Cazorla twist and turns, endlessly, until he fires a left-foot shot that Given again has to parry. Villa haven't got an earthly in this match - Arsenal are too good, too fast, and 2-0 up. 56 min GOAL DISALLOWED! Walcott is denied by more Given heroics, and the whistle goes for offside well before Sanchez can nod in the rebound.

55 min Some pertinent facts: 2 - Alexis Sanchez is only the second Chilean to score in the FA Cup final after George Robledo for Newcastle v Arsenal in 1952. History. A very modern lament from Jamie Carragher: Sherwood vines unlikely now. — Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) May 30, 2015 52 min Ashley Westwood is the next Villa player to be booked, as he trips a rampant Sanchez. Villa make their change - N'Zogbia departs, and Agbonlahor is thrust into the fray. GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa (Sanchez 50 min) An absolute, unadulterated, full-fat belter from Alexis Sanchez. Head down, 30 yards out, he lets rip and it flies straight through Shay Given's gloves and down off the bar in mere microseconds. 49 min Grealish almost gets the better of Bellerin on the left, but is eventually crowded out. Still no sign of those suspected Villa substitutions... 47 min Arsenal straight back into their rhythm, interrupted only momentarily by a directionless surge from Benteke.

Ramsey tries to catch Given out at the near post, but scuffs the shot. 46 min The second half is upon us. No changes for either side, but Agbonlahor is warming up for Villa. 18.30 A reliable Theo Walcott? Well, I never. 7 - Theo Walcott has scored seven goals in seven starts for Arsenal this season. Guarantee. A penny for his thoughts. Actually, he'd probably demand a "pony", or at least a "score". 18.24 Telegraph football correspondent Tinchy Stryder reports: &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Tinchy Stryder - Well deserved lead... But this is football &amp;amp;amp; another 45mins to go!

ð&amp;amp;Yuml;&amp;amp;lsquo;â&amp;amp;scaron;½ï¸ &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#FACupFinal&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 18.22 It wouldn't be a huge surprise to see Jack Grealish's shapely young calves being sacrificed at half-time, in favour of a more experienced body in the Villa midfield. Agbonlahor could also be called upon to give the isolated Benteke some support. 18.20 Another reminder of the dreaded commentator's curse: Danny Murphy talks about Walcott not wanting to cross on his left foot, then he smashes a goal in with his left foot #FACupFinal — Dan Clifford (@DanCliffordCTFC) May 30, 2015 Half time Referee Jon Moss brings a frantic opening 45 minutes to an end. Tim Sherwood ended the half right on the edge of his technical area, deep in thought, looking like a manager seeing out a 0-5 rout.

It might not necessarily be hairdryer time in the Villa dressing room, but he'll look to shake things up - they haven't mustered a single shot on target. 45 min Two added minutes. Arsenal have another corner, but this time Villa clear with ease. I'd expect a change in Sherwood's personnel at the break. 43 min Villa's response is to search desperately for something Benteke-shaped at the back post, but Arsenal are wise to that ploy by now. GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa (Walcott 40 min) Monreal, with his left foot this time, clips in another cross. Sanchez rises highest to nod the ball back onto the path of Walcott, about 10 yards out, who rifles a left-foot shot through Given and into the back of the net. A fully deserved lead, and Villa haven't quite made it to the sanctuary of half-time. Brilliant finish from Walcott. No hesitation. Just balance, timing and placement. #afc lead.

listen to ‘#AFC 1-0 #AVFC - Wembley erupts #FACupFinal’ on audioBoom 39 min Monreal clips in a cross with his weaker right foot, and it's too deep for the likes of Sanchez and Walcott to reach. Every Villa goal-kick is an oasis of hope right now. 37 min A breathless first-half nears its end, and thoughts begin to turn to Sherwood's half-time team talk. Arsenal will, as it stands, be doing some serious dressing-room ruing, as they should be a goal up by now, without question. Now Delph is booked, as the pressure continues. 34 min Veteran @AVFCOfficial keeper Shay Given makes incredible save to keep Arsenal at bay in the #FACupFinal . #WeAreIn — BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) May 30, 2015 33 min The cast-iron booking for Alan Hutton arrives after 33 minutes, after he flies into Sanchez. No complaints in the slightest - that's his 11th booking of the season. 32 min Koscielny climbs above Vlaar to force Given into that superb save...

30 min Villa enjoy a brief spell of possession, but Arsenal's midfield persistence pays off and Delph is given a lecture from the referee for tugging back Sanchez. Villa's respite was brief. 28 min Ramsey races through again, after Walcott clips a pass into his path, but he can only find the gloves of Given under pressure. 62% possession from Arsenal so far, and it feels like 92%. 27 min Arsenal continue to swarm all over the Villa defence, before the assistant's flag rescues them and allows a gathering of breath and thoughts. 24 min ANOTHER GLORIOUS CHANCE! Theo Walcott is denied from six yards by a flying block by Kieran Richardson. It's surely only a matter of time here... 22 min Szczesny once again is alert to the early Villa cross, from deep, towards Benteke and he races out to claim with ease. Sherwood's brain cogs will be whirring right now. 20 min CHANCE! Ramsey really ought to have put Arsenal ahead. Ron Vlaar fails to clear a ball into the box, and Ramsey pounces on it, eight yards out, but pokes it over Given's crossbar.

19 min Benteke scraps for the ball on the edge of the Arsenal area, and that's the sum total of Villa's attacking threat so far. Arsenal in total control. 17 min CHANCE! Hector Bellerin races down the right and, eventually, feeds the ball into Aarom Ramsey at the near post, who stabs the ball into the side-netting. Portions of Wembley thought it was in... 15 min SAVE! Shay Given rolls back the years with a stunning save to deny Koscielny. Given's strong right arm beat away the header, after Sanchez had clipped in a clever cross. Villa clinging on a bit. 14 min Tom Cleverley goes into the book after tripping Nacho Monreal. That's basically Benteke's booking from 90 seconds ago. 13 min Some quickfire passing almost sets Cazorla free of the Villa defence, but Ron Vlaar steps in to restore order. Szczesny then faces his first aerial assault from Benteke, but his punch clear is decisively long-distance. 11 min Another corner for Arsenal, as Delph dives in to interrupt a flowing move between Ramsey and Cazorla.

Benteke then fells Sanchez right on the by-line as the Chilean darts towards the box. He escapes a yellow, probably just because it's so early in the game. 8 min The Gunners backline - Mertesacker in particular - have been granted the freedom of Wembley to play the ball, but Villa snap at Arsenal heels whenever the ball is finally played forward. Sanchez's first foray into Villa territory leads to Alan Hutton sliding into concede a corner. 6 min A first touch for Shay Given, who has the late afternoon sunshine in his eyes for the first half. Benteke is now flagged offside, just as he was about to bear down on the Arsenal goal. 4 min Delph's dainty midfield footwork engineers the ball superbly out to Hutton, whose cross is almost deflected out for a corner, but Szczesny gathers. Lively start. 2 min Arsenal win a free-kick, which Cazorla swings in from the left, but Mertesacker is beaten to it. Arsenal build again, and Walcott momentarily looks to be clean through...but he's offside.

1 min Tom Cleverley and the boldly-socked Grealish get us off and underway in the cup final. Jores Okore wins his first tussle with Theo Walcott. 17.29 Captains Fabian Delph and Per Mertesacker have the minor inconvenience of the pendants to deal with, before both teams gather in a pre-match huddle. It's game time. 17.28 National anthem time. 17.22 Out come the teams for the 2015 FA Cup final. Little plastic flags everywhere, and Wembley sounds great. Aston Villa fan Prince William, Duke of Cambridge - and president of the FA - greets the teams. He shakes the Villa hands with a little more gusto, it has to be said. 17.21 A stirring rendition, that. Kick-off moments away! 17.19 It's time for Abide With Me. You know the words. Maybe. 17.18 Under a quarter-of-an-hour until kick-off. Kill a few of those by reading this curious tale of FA bureaucracy , relating to this banned Aston Villa flag: 17.12 Nice.

17.10 Lots of pre-match focus justifiably on Christian Benteke - he's got 12 goals in his last 12 games and, traditionally, he represents Arsenal's worst nightmare. 17.09 — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 30, 2015 16.59 Cup Final news from north of the border - Inverness Caledonian Thistle have beaten Falkirk in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park. 16.57 Our man in the Midlands, John Percy, has written about the making of Jack Grealish . The Brummie with the boyband haircut and socks rolled around his ankles is now one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the Premier League and will face Arsenal at Wembley this Saturday, determined to help propel his beloved Villa into Europe. “All he’s ever wanted was to play for Villa - he didn’t have much choice really because I’ve been buying him season tickets since the age of four. Whatever happens, he won’t be changing because he doesn’t like the limelight. “He’s not big time, he still lives at home with us and I can assure you he still tidies his room.

He’s still picking his sisters up from school and having his mates round to play Fifa.” 16.54 A word, too, for veteran Villa goalkeeper Shay Given, who played for Newcastle against Arsenal in the final 17 years ago. He's been Villa's cup goalkeeper all season, and displaced Guzan completely since the start of May. He's probably be quite busy today, too. 16.52 This way for an evolving gallery of the sights and sounds of FA Cup Final day... 16.48 While, on the Arsenal bench, Giroud may feel aggrieved at his omission, Gabby Agbonlahor is perhaps the unluckiest one among the Villa subs. No doubt both will get their chance today at some point. 16.39 Nice, this. BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand - who announced his retirement from football earlier today - straightens the tie of young Jack Grealish: 16.36 Wembley Way, in the Cup Final sunshine. 16.34 Today's referee, by the way, is Jon Moss - who I am legally obliged to tell you is from Tyne and Wear.

16.32 Villa defender Ron Vlaar may have been hoping for Olivier Giroud rather than Theo Walcott, who's fresh from a final-day Premier League hat-trick against West Brom. Wojciech Szczesny is retained as Arsenal's designated cup keeper, ahead of their regular no.1 David Ospina. 16.28 Anyway, serious business now. Team news! Walcott starts! Szczesny gets the nod! 39-year-old Shay Given starts for Villa! Arsenal: Szczesny, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Walcott Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud Aston Villa: Given, Hutton, Vlaar, Okore, Richardson, Westwood, Delph (c), Cleverley, Grealish, N'Zogbia, Benteke. Subs: Guzan, Bacuna, Sinclair, Agbonlahor, Cole, Sanchez, Baker 16.20 Referees get beer after the game!

This is extraordinary. In these days of mega fitness & pro diets - good to know some things don't change. From official running order pic.twitter.com/LmjjqD8JYK — Guy Mowbray (@Guymowbray) May 30, 2015 "Additional beer on request." Look! A team bus! Excitement! 15.59 An Ennio Morricone soundtrack for the BBC's opening montage, before Gary Lineker introduces us to an imposing studio trio of Alan Shearer, Dion Dublin and Martin Keown. They tuck straight into some light-hearted digs at each other's footballing ability over some retro footage. Standard.

15.56 Schadenfreude fans, this could be one for you - Arsenal have been demonstrating administrative prudence and adhering to local council regulations getting ahead of themselves and have planned their victory parade already: FA Cup Finals History: Results, Winners, Records, GoalScorers & Venues | Sportslens Blog Teams Arsenal FA Cup Finals History: Results, Winners, Records, GoalScorers & Venues FA Cup Finals History: Results, Winners, Records, GoalScorers & Venues Tom Gatehouse 19 May, 2016 Arsenal , Chelsea , Crystal Palace , FA Cup , Liverpool , Manchester United The FA Cup is English football’s biggest cup competition and one of the most important in football. It is also the oldest cup competition in the world, having first started in 1871, with 736 teams taking part in the 2015/16 edition of the tournament. FA Cup final history is vast with many dramatic clashes taking place across its 145 year history.

Manchester United and Crystal Palace will play in the 2016 FA Cup final on May 21st at the Wembley in London, with the match a repeat of the 1990 FA Cup final in which United triumphed 1-0 in a replay after the final ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw. United are the second most successful team in the history of the FA Cup, having won eleven titles, with the club just one title away from Arsenal, who became the most decorated FA Cup side ever after winning the last two editions of the competition. Palace are searching for their maiden FA Cup triumph, with this their first final since their loss in 1990. Check out our guide to FA Cup final history below: FA Cup Final Winners Since 1988, the FA Cup has been won by the traditional ‘Big Four’ in English football – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – 22 times in 27 seasons. The FA Cup has been won by 43 different teams throughout history, with West Ham’s victory in 1980 the last time a team from outside English football’s top division has been crowned champions.

Of the teams to have won more than one FA Cup, fans will not be familiar with two. Wanderers, who last won the competition in 1878, are an amateur club who had great success in the early years of organised football in England. Old Etonians were also an amateur club in the 1800’s, winning the trophy twice.

Arsenal – Titles: 12 – Last final win: 2015 Manchester United – Titles: 11 – Last final win: 2004 Tottenham Hotspur – Titles: 8 – Last final win: 1991 Liverpool – Titles: 7 – Last final win: 2006 Chelsea – Titles: 7 – Last final win: 2012 Aston Villa – Titles: 7 – Last final win: 1957 Newcastle United – Titles: 6 – Last final win: 1955 Blackburn Rovers – Titles: 6 – Last final win: 1928 Everton – Titles: 5 – Last final win: 1995 West Brom – Titles: 5 – Last final win: 1968 Manchester City – Titles: 5 – Last final win: 2011 Wanderers – Titles: 5 – Last final win: 1878 Wolves – Titles: 4 – Last final win: 1960 Bolton – Titles: 4 – Last final win: 1958 Sheffield United – Titles: 4 – Last final win: 1925 Sheffield

 Wednesday – Titles: 3 – Last final win: 1935 West Ham – Titles: 3 – Last final win: 1980 Preston – Titles: 2 – Last final win: 1938 Old Etonians – Titles: 2 – Last final win: 1882 Portsmouth – Titles: 2 – Last final win: 2008 Sunderland – Titles: 2 – Last final win: 1973 Nottingham Forest – Titles: 2 – Last final win: 1959 Bury – Titles: 2 – Last title win: 1903 + 20 teams on one FA Cup win FA Cup: Individual Records Some of the greatest players have graced the competition, with many having outstanding scoring records.

Being such an long-running competition, stretching back to 1871, it is impossible to accurately compile a list of top goalscorers from all rounds across history. However, Liverpool’s Ian Rush has the most goals in FA Cup final history with five, with his goals helping the club to win three FA Cups in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba holds the record for highest number of FA Cup finals scored in with four. The Ivorian was known for turning up in the big games, scoring an incredible 10 goals in 10 finals and winning 10 trophies with the club over nine years and two spells at the London club. Ashley Cole played with Drogba in West London for six years, with the English defender holding the record for most FA Cup winners medals. Cole won seven across his career in England with both Chelsea and Arsenal. The little known Arthur Kinnaird has, to this day, taken part in the most FA Cup finals with nine. He played for both Wanderers and Old Etonians and won five finals. The youngest ever FA Cup final player is Barnet’s Curtis Weston.

The midfielder was part of the Milwall side that lost to Manchester United in the 2004 final and came on as an 89th minute substitute, replacing then player-manager Dennis Wise, when he was just 17 years and 119 days old. Billy Hampson, who played for Newcastle in the around the time of the First World War, remains the oldest ever player in an FA Cup final after appearing in the 1924 final against Aston Villa aged 41 years and eight months old. FA Cup Final History: The New Wembley Winners Below are the previous nine FA Cup final results since the rebuilding of Wembley stadium, the home of the English football. The original Wembley stadium was demolished from 2002-03, with the FA Cup final being played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for six years from the year 2000. The new Wembley is the second largest stadium in Europe, behind the Camp Nou in Barcelona, and the largest stadium in the UK.

Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa, 30th May 2015, Wembley (89,283 crowd) Arsenal 3-2 Hull City, 17th May 2014, Wembley (89,345) Wigan 1-0 Manchester City, 11th May 2013, Wembley (86,254) Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool, 5th May 2012, Wembley (89,041) Manchester City 1-0 Stoke, 14th May 2011, Wembley (88,643) Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth, 15th May 2010, Wembley (88,335) Chelsea 2-1 Everton, 30th May 2009, Wembley (89,391) Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff, 17th May 2008, Wembley (89,874) Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United, 19th May 2007

, Wembley (89,826) FA Cup Final Tickets - The best Football online Fa Cup Final Tickets MATCHES AVAILABLE: 657 Fa Cup Final Tickets The FA Cup final is by far the most exciting event of the English football season.

No matter which teams are playing, the final is always a joy to watch. Buy the very best FA Cup final tickets to the spectacular FA Cup Final 2016 at Wembley Stadium on 21 May 2016. The 2015 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa was won by Arsenal in a very intense match with a 4-0 score. Latest Ticket Bookings 20 Jan 2017 - Alexander C from Australia booked 4 Arsenal vs Burnley football tickets. 20 Jan 2017 - Arie A from Israel booked 2 West Ham United vs Chelsea football tickets. 20 Jan 2017 - Jamie W from United Kingdom booked 2 Tottenham Hotspur vs KAA Gent football tickets. 19 Jan 2017 - Alexander C from Australia booked 4 Arsenal vs Burnley football tickets. 19 Jan 2017 - Arie A from Israel booked 1 Liverpool vs Chelsea football tickets. Football news View more Fa Cup Final Tickets 1st4 Football Tickets can provide you with FA Cup tickets to all matches including FA Cup Final tickets and FA Cup Semi Final tickets.

The FA Cup final is one of the greatest football cup finals in the world. In the 2015 FA Cup Final Arsenal beat Aston Villa and won the FA Cup Final with an exciting 4-0 victory. The last seven FA Cup champions are Arsenal (2015 and 2014), Wigan Athletic (2013), Chelsea (winning the final in 2009, 2010 and 2012) and Manchester City (winning the title in 2011). No doubt the FA Cup Final 2016 between the two biggest cup fighters become a fierce battle between world star football players. FA Cup Semi Finals 23+24 April 2016 Fa Cup Final: 21/05/2016 Wembley Stadium, London, England Please, select your FA Cup final tickets by using the links on this page. You can either buy your FA Cup final tickets online, or you can call our football ticket hotline. FA CUP FINAL fan base Join in the excitement and fun at the FA Cup Final - sit with other football fans and enjoy the match!

Buy hot FA Cup Final tickets online at 1st4FootballTickets.com and experience an unforgettable football game live at Wembley Stadium in London, UK with other fans, supporting your favorite team. How to buy FA CUP FINAL 2016 tickets You can buy tickets for the FA Cup Final at 1st4FootballTickets.com securely online - or you can call our football ticket hotline @ UK TEL: 0871 284 5277! Every FA Cup Final ticket order from 1st4FootbalTickets.com comes with a 150% guarantee, and will be delivered to your home, hotel, or office ASAP by our reliable partners FedEx and Royal Mail Special Delivery. FA Cup Final 2016 Tickets The FA Cup Semi-final match-ups will take place at Wembley on Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24. You can buy football tickets for FA Cup clashes, as well as FA Cup 2015 Semi Final tickets on 1st4FootballTickets.com.

Buy great FA CUP FINAL 2016 tickets now to watch the exciting season climax clash for the silverware on May 21, 2016 at Wembley Stadium in London, UK. The FA Cup Finalists 2000-2009 - Historical Football Kits English League Teams > FA Cup Finals English FA Cup Finalists 2000 - 2009 By the turn of the century, Wembley Stadium was showing its age and its facilities were far inferior to the new club stadia that were being built around the UK. In 2000, the stadium was torn down and work begun on the new Wembley. Sadly the iconic twin towers were not preserved but in their place the designers put a graceful steel arch that could be seen right across London. The FA Cup's new temporary home was the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, a magnificent state of the art structure built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

1999 - 2000 Liverpool 3 West Ham United 3 (Liverpool won 3-1 on penalties) venue Millennium Stadium, Cardiff date 13 May 2006 The new Wembley Stadium was behind schedule so the final stayed in Cardiff and was again decided on penalties. West Ham scored after seven minutes (Carragher og) and twenty minutes later they had a second. Liverpool came storming back and had a goal disallowed before Cisse volleyed home on 32 minutes. Ten minutes after the break, Gerrard equalised but West Ham stunned the Liverpool support by taking back the lead when Konchesky sent over a high cross that looped over Reina in the into the net. Liverpool teams generally do not know when they are beaten and this side was no exception. As the match went into injury time and the Hammers' fans prepared to celebrate, Liverpool's captain Steve Gerrard scored from 35 yards. There was little action in extra-time and both teams were prepared to settle for a penalty contest. Reina saved three penalties in the shoot-out, an exciting climax to what was considered the best final for 20 years.

Portsmouth 1 Cardiff City 0 venue Wembley Stadium date 17 May 2008 For once none of the four big Premiership sides featured in the FA Cup final of 2008. Both teams had previously won the cup before the Second World War, Cardiff in 1927 and Portsmouth in 1939. The match was closely contested and only a single goal, snatched by Kanu when the Cardiff goalkeeper fumbled in the 38th minute, separated the sides. In the second half Cardiff, wearing the lucky black kit that had seen them through both quarter- and semi-finals, pressed their Premier League opponents harder and harder but could not find their way through. For the first time in 69 years the famous Pompey Chimes rang out at Wembley Stadium. venue Wembley Stadium date 30 May 2009 The final was put back to the end of May to ensure that it would be the climax to the domestic season.

On a baking hot day in brilliant sunshine, Everton, playing in their first final since 1995, could not have asked for a better start when Louis Saha scored after just 25 seconds, the fastest ever goal in a cup final. Chelsea came back strongly to equalise midway through the first half, Didier Drogba finding space between Everton's central defenders to head home Malouda's cross. Chelsea dominated the second half but, with both teams committed to the attack, the match might have gone either way before Lampard let fly a terrific strike from distance that beat Tim Howard in the Everton goal with sheer pace. Chelsea could have had a third when Malouda's powerful shot hit the underside of the bar and bounced back into play: TV replays showed that the ball had crossed the line in an uncanny recreation of Geoff Hurst's 1966 World Cup final goal. A brief history of ... the rise and fall of the FA Cup, England's Super Bowl | Sport | The Guardian Field Notes A brief history of ... the rise and fall of the FA Cup, England's Super Bowl The curious fan’s guide to the match that stops a nation.

Or the match that used to, at least Newcastle captain Joe Harvey receives the FA Cup from Winston Churchill. Photograph: popperfoto/Alamy Friday 29 May 2015 06.30 EDT Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 09.00 EDT Share on Messenger Close With the Guardian’s unstoppable rise to global dominance (NOTE: actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant) we at Guardian US thought we’d run a series of articles for newer football fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the game’s history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn’t patronise you to within an inch of your life. A warning: If you’re the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you. The FA Cup final is the nearest thing English sport has to the Super Bowl, and Aston Villa and Arsenal will run out for this year’s edition on Saturday. A famous annual jamboree, the showpiece of the nation’s favourite pastime, the culmination of a long season, a quasi-religious affair, a pseudo public holiday for all the family to enjoy. Soccer’s big day out. Or at least it used to be.

Truth be told, the Cup final - it’s not English soccer’s only cup final, but it’s always been the Cup final - isn’t quite what it was during its long heyday between the 1920s and 1980s. More of the reasons for that in a bit, but suffice to say the clowns at the Football Association couldn’t have done a worse job as keepers of the flame had they approached the task wielding a bucket of water, another bucket containing sand, and a thick fibreglass blanket complying to health and safety regulations in a quick-release container. The FA Cup - or to give it its full name, before those clowns started pimping it out for advertising, the Football Association Challenge Cup – is the oldest football competition in the world. It was launched in 1871, eight years after representatives of several London public schools, sporting clubs and civil service departments – ah, the glamour of sports administration – met to regulate the rules of Association Football and form the FA. The FA Cup would be their flagship event, a knockout cup competition which clubs from any level could enter.

Sixteen teams entered the first tournament, including Queen’s Park of Glasgow, who in the five years since their formation in 1867, had yet to concede a goal. Queen’s Park didn’t concede in their cup run, either, but they didn’t lift the trophy. Much fancied to win the first FA Cup, they were given a bye to the semi-finals, where they played Wanderers, the club of FA secretary Charles Alcock, at London’s Kennington Oval cricket ground. The match ended goalless, at which point Queen’s Park found they had nothing left in the bank, so were forced to turn tail for Scotland. Nobody suggested a replay could have been staged in, say, Glasgow. But it was Wanderers who made the first final – also at the Oval – and they beat Royal Engineers, another fine set of public-school lads, thanks to a Morton Betts tap-in. Queen’s Park conceded their first goal three years later, by the way, in a friendly at Hampden Park in Glasgow against the romantically monickered Vale of Leven. But we digress. Amateurs ruled the roost in the early days.

In the first 12 years of the competition, posh lads from the south dominated. But in 1883 – by which time over 100 teams were competing in the cup – Blackburn Olympic broke the mould. They had been backed by a local businessman who had paid for Olympic’s players to prepare for the final by holidaying in Blackpool. Olympic beat the holders Old Etonians, 2-1 after extra time, becoming the first working-class team from an industrial town to win the FA Cup. Professionalism wasn’t technically legalised for another two years, but everyone knew the score, and the genie was out of the bottle. Old Etonians’ cup victory of 1882, then, remains the last time a fully amateur club waltzed off with the prize. A state of affairs which, let’s face it, is not likely to change any time soon. The first big FA Cup final shock – and football’s first-ever act of hilarious hubris – occurred in 1888. Preston North End – the northern industrial powerhouses were in full control by now – were the best team in the land.

They won 42 consecutive matches during the 1887-88 season, only to fall at the final hurdle. Upon arriving to face West Bromwich Albion in the 1888 Cup final, having beaten Hyde by a record score of 26-0 along the way, they asked for a photograph of themselves with the trophy. Cue a (possibly apocryphal) response from referee and FA president Major Francis Marindin: “Hadn’t you better win it first?” Sure enough, George Woodhall’s late goal gave West Brom a 2-1 win. No photo for Preston, though they used their shame as fuel for the following season, winning the first-ever Football League title undefeated, and securing the league-and-Cup Double with a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final. The Invincibles, as that Preston team became known, didn’t concede a goal in their entire Cup run. There was a notable run of finals after the turn of the century. In 1900, Bury thrashed non-league Southampton 4-0.

A year later, Southern League club Tottenham Hotspur became the first – and still the only – non-league outfit to win the trophy, beating Sheffield United after a replay. Southampton then had another near miss in 1902. They put out holders Spurs in the first round, and made it to the final against Sheffield United, who were ready to go one better this time. Referee Tom Kirkham – who had once refereed a game of three halves, turning up late for a match between Sunderland and Derby County with 45 minutes already played, then insisting on a restart – awarded Saints a blatantly offside goal. That ensured a replay. United’s goalkeeper, the 280lbs William ‘Fatty’ Foulke, was so incensed at Kirkham’s ineptitude that he leapt out of the post-match bath to chase the hapless referee, Foulke’s fruit bowl drying gently in the breeze. No matter: Sheffield United won the replay 2-1. Saints remain the last non-league side to make the final. And speaking of neat packages, which we sort of were with Sheffield United’s goalkeeper back there ...

that little run of finals finishes in 1903, when Bury popped up again to trounce Derby County 6-0. That’s still the biggest win in an FA Cup final. Let’s hope Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa have done plenty of training-ground drills since conceding five before half-time at Southampton last week, huh. The final moved to the new Wembley Stadium in 1923. Cue bedlam, and the famous White Horse Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. Nearly 200,000 spectators turned up, and an official number of 126,047 got in, though that figure is reckoned to be highly conservative. The match kicked off 45 minutes late, fans teeming from the stands onto the field, and being driven back to the touchlines by a lone copper on a white horse. Bolton won 2-0. Their second was scored by Joe Smith, just about: his volley came down off the crossbar, bounced on the line and rebounded back into play, though the goal stood. A controversial moment. Let’s hope nothing like that would ever happen at Wembley again, eh kids?

By the way, the white horse was actually dark grey: it was an overcast day, and for the nag to be picked out in photos, the film had to be overexposed. The Cup left England for the first and, to date, only time in 1927, when Cardiff City beat Arsenal 1-0. Gunners keeper Dan Lewis, in a new shiny shirt, let a simple shot squirm from his grasp, and Hugh Ferguson poked home. Cue paranoid Arsenal tradition of always washing the keeper’s kit before matches, to take away any slippery sheen. Arsenal finally won their first cup three years later, beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 as the Graf Zeppelin airship hovered like a brooding menace over Wembley. The first FA Cup final to be televised live by the BBC was the 1938 affair between Preston North End and Huddersfield Town. What a time they picked to do that: the match was a thundering non-event.

“If there’s a goal now,” opined commentator Lieutenant-Commander Thomas Woodrooffe (only in Britain) with the score 0-0 and the match entering the final minute of extra time, “I’ll eat my hat.” Sure enough, Preston’s George Mutch was felled in the area by Huddersfield captain Alf Young, Mutch tucked the penalty away, and Woodrooffe was forced to tuck into a bowler-hat-shaped cake live on TV a few days later. Mmm, the marzipan-tinged taste of millinery. Woodrooffe is also remembered for getting spectacularly lashed on booze while broadcasting on a naval fleet review in 1937. The BBC used to be really good, you know, before the management classes, data crunchers and box tickers took over . The most famous FA Cup final of all time is the 1953 Matthews Final. It was named after Blackpool’s Stanley Matthews, who was England’s most talented winger during the 1930s and 1940s, but at 38 was running out of time to win a medal of any stripe.

Blackpool had lost the 1948 final – Matt Busby’s first trophy as Manchester United manager – and then again in 1951 to a Jackie Milburn inspired Newcastle United. The jig looked up yet again when Blackpool’s opponents Bolton Wanderers went 3-1 up after 55 minutes, but Stan Mortensen scored his and Blackpool’s second on 68, completed his hat-trick on 89 minutes, and then Matthews set up Bill Perry to score a dramatic injury-time winner. Everyone in the country outside of Bolton went wild; Matthews had his medal at last! In the brouhaha, Mortensen’s hat-trick – the only one in an FA Cup final at Wembley – was kind of forgotten. As was the fact that Perry had become the first black player to score in an FA Cup final. (Mike Trebilcock, inspiring Everton’s 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday in 1966, usually gets the credit for this, but Perry got there first.) The finals of the 1950s were marred by an astonishing run of injuries.

In 1952, Arsenal’s Walley Barnes suffered a split cartilage, his team losing to Newcastle. Bolton’s Eric Bell pulled up lame in the aforementioned Matthews Final. Jimmy Meadows broke his leg in 1955 as his Manchester City lost to Newcastle. City were back a year later, when their keeper Bert Trautmann famously broke his neck (!) but held out against Birmingham. Manchester United goalkeeper Ray Wood was clattered by Aston Villa’s Peter McParland in 1957, and ended the match hobbling around on the wing. Luton Town’s Roy Dwight – a cousin of Elton John – broke his leg as his team lost to Nottingham Forest in 1959. The Cup final jinx continued into the early 1960s. Future Wigan chairman Dave Whelan broke a leg as Blackburn lost to Wolves in 1960; Leicester’s Len Chalmers went down early in 1961, allowing Tottenham to complete the first league-and-cup double of the 20th century with relative ease.

Substitutes were eventually allowed in the English game in 1965; Dennis Clarke of West Bromwich Albion was the first to be used in an FA Cup final, coming on in his team’s 1-0 win over Everton in 1968. The FA Cup final reached its zenith as a cultural force in the 1970s and 1980s. Two reasons: up until 1983, it was, other than the England-Scotland internationals, various European club matches, and the World Cup finals, pretty much the only show on live television in Britain. Both the BBC and ITV would set aside hours of programming time on Cup final day, which was some commitment given that Britain only had three channels in the 70s. (Go ahead, knock yourself out laughing, but our dithering inability to get our act together in any walk of life is part of our unique charm.

Erm.) Admittedly the programmes would be full of abject nonsense such as live interviews from the team hotel, live interviews from the team bus as it sat in traffic jams en route to Wembley, obstacle-course races and charity five-a-side matches contested by minor celebrities, and music-hall comic turns based on highly questionable racial stereotypes. But it was better than nothing. OK, it wasn’t better than nothing. But it was on, and that was enough. The whole family gathered round, and made a day of it, whether they liked football and low-quality light entertainment or not. There, you see, the nearest thing English sport has to the Super Bowl. The second reason: a series of magnificent shocks. Second Division Sunderland beat the mighty Leeds United in 1973. Second Division Southampton beat the mighty Manchester United in 1976. Second Division West Ham beat the mighty Arsenal in 1980. No lower-tier side has won the Cup since, though the 1980s didn’t disappoint either.

Unfancied Coventry City won their first-ever trophy in one of the great finals, 3-2 over Spurs in 1987, Keith Houchen’s diving header a goal for the ages, while Wimbledon, in the non-league a decade earlier, beat arguably the most entertaining Liverpool side ever in 1988. Ricky Villa’s rococo run to win the replayed 1981 final for Spurs over Manchester City is commonly cited as the greatest-ever Cup final goal, though Steve Mackenzie’s Zidane-esque effort in the same match pushes it hard. Kevin Moran became the first person to be sent off in a Cup final in 1985, but Manchester United still won the day against league champions Everton. Pinterest But it couldn’t last. A number of factors have led to the relative demise of the Cup final. The usurping of the Cup in the pecking order by the league, for a start. The FA Cup final was the pinnacle for most players, up until some difficult-to-pinpoint point in the 1960s or 1970s.

An example to illustrate: when Liverpool won their first FA Cup in 1965, Bill Shankly announced that only now had the club become truly big. They’d already won six league titles at this point, and were in the semi-final of that year’s European Cup! But such was the pull of the FA Cup back then. More televised games have inevitably diluted the Cup’s impact, too. The bloated importance of the Champions League final has queered the FA Cup final’s patch for some time. There’s the increasing domination of the big clubs. And finally the FA’s insistence on buggering around with the scheduling, moving the match back and forth from the last day of the season – thankfully we’re back there this year – and shifting the traditional 3pm kick-off time to 5.30pm, which is no good at all. Oh, and all the sponsorship. The FA Cup sponsored by Littlewoods Pools? The FA Cup with Budweiser? No thanks! No thanks! And yet, while it’s never likely to become the centrepiece of the season again, the magic’s never quite died out.

The received wisdom is that the Cup final these days isn’t much to write home about, and yet it’s still proved itself capable of delivering the goods. The Gerrard final between Liverpool and West Ham in 2006 was right up there with any of the classics from the 1950s or 1970s. The greatest start to a final came in 2009, when Louis Saha found the net for Everton in 25 seconds, though much good it did them as Chelsea ran out 2-1 winners. Meanwhile victories for Portsmouth in 2008 and Wigan Athletic in 2013 offered a little succour to those sick of the big teams winning all the time. The fact that the domestically dominant Manchester United haven’t won the competition since 2004, or made a final since 2007, shows how competitive the FA Cup still is. And another famous chapter will be written this year: Arsenal will either become the team with the most wins, 12, one ahead of Manchester United, or Aston Villa will win their first FA Cup final since 1957 – 1957!

– and move ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea in the all-time table, joint with Spurs on eight wins. So the nation will be tuning in, just as we always did. It’s still English soccer’s biggest day out. The adverts during the Super Bowl are a lot better, though. 90 Years Of Wembley Stadium | Wembley Stadium This year Wembley Stadium celebrates its 90th birthday with a blockbuster calendar of events. While the new 90,000 stadium only opened in 2007, it is built on the site of the original Wembley Stadium that first appeared on the north London skyline in 1923. Originally the centrepiece of the British Empire Exhibition, the old Wembley Stadium was built in under a year at a cost of £750,000. Some 250,000 tons of clay had to be dug out to form the bowl of the stadium and the stands and terraces were built with 25,000 tons of concrete, reinforced with 600 tons of steel rods.

The stadium became the symbol of English football, and the famous Twin Towers, which stood at the entrance, were iconic throughout the world. The FA Cup Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on 28 April 1923 was the first event to take place at Wembley Stadium. The official attendance was 126,047, still the largest for any football match in England, but estimates of the number of people who entered the stadium put the number at around 200,000. A year later, international football made its debut as England drew 1-1 with Scotland. Since then Wembley has hosted 78 FA Cup Finals, 258 England senior internationals, the 1966 World Cup, 40 League Cup Finals, six European Cup Finals and Euro 96. But it’s not just football that has wowed Wembley... Great Britain won 23 medals at the 1948 Olympic Games, three of them gold, while Henry Cooper floored Cassius Clay in one of boxing’s best-ever bouts in 1963.

Rugby League’s Challenge Cup Final has been a fixture here since 1929, while the glitz and glamour of the NFL has wowed the crowds since the 80s. Greyhound racing, speedway, hockey, American wrestling and Evel Knievel are just some of the other stunning spectacles to have featured over the years and even the Pope graced Wembley’s hallowed turf in 1982! Wembley’s credentials as a music Mecca were boosted with the global phenomenon of Live Aid in 1985 and concerts by Queen in 1986, Michael Jackson in 1988 and the Rolling Stones in 1990. The last football match at the old stadium was England’s World Cup Qualifier against Germany on 7 October 2000. A crowd of 76,377 saw the Germans win 1-0 with Hamann’s free kick on 14 minutes.

While Wembley was being rebuilt Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted six FA Cup Finals and arguably the pick of them was the 2006 match between Liverpool and West Ham United, which the Merseysiders won on penalties after a 3-3 draw. The new £750 million venue opened in 2007, and the most striking feature of the new stadium is the 133 metre high arch that towers over the North stand. The single largest roof structure in the world, the Wembley arch supports the north roof and 60% of the weight of the south roof. The Stadium also has a sliding roof that sits 52 metres above the pitch. Even though the roof does not completely close, it does cover every seat in the stadium, which makes Wembley the largest fully covered stadium in the world. The capacity is now 90,000, the second largest seating capacity in Europe, with the biggest attendance so far the 89,874 who watched the 2008 FA Cup Final featuring Portsmouth and Cardiff City. The first official match was an Under-21s friendly between England and Italy, an exciting 3-3 draw on 24 March.

Chelsea became the first team to win The FA Cup at the new stadium as Didier Drogba’s strike saw-off Manchester United. Blues’ captain John Terry scored England’s first goal at their new home in a 1-1 draw with Brazil two weeks later. Other landmarks moments so far include England v Kazakhstan in 2008 (which was watched by 89,107, still the record for an international at the new stadium), the UEFA Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United in 2011, the football tournaments of the London 2012 Olympics and Muse’s 2007 H.A.A.R.P. tour which was voted Wembley’s Greatest Event in 2011. And this year, a festival of football awaits as the Champions League Final and a series of blockbuster England internationals lie ahead. And it’s not just football taking centre stage at Wembley in 2013, big name concerts include The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams and Roger Waters. Here’s to another 90 years of magical moments... What date and time is the FA Cup final and which TV channel can I watch it on?

- Telegraph FA Cup What date and time is the FA Cup final and which TV channel can I watch it on? All the key details around Saturday's Arsenal vs Aston Villa 2015 FA Cup final including start time, ticket details, odds, team news and our prediction The 2015 FA Cup final is between Arsenal and Aston Villa Photo: Amit Lennon When does it start? The 2015 FA Cup final kicks off at 5.30pm on Saturday, May 30 2015 at Wembley Stadium. What TV channel is it on? The game will be shown live on BBC1 and BT Sport 1. How do I get tickets? Each club has received an allocation of 25,000 tickets, sold to season ticket holders and members only. Tickets have been priced at £50, £70, £90 and £120. Approximately 20,000 tickets will be distributed by the FA to counties, leagues, local clubs and charities, together with other professional clubs and full member clubs. Club Wembley members are allocated 17,000 tickets. Which ends have been allocated to the two clubs?

Aston Villa fans have been housed at the west end of Wembley - the same end in which they sat for the semi-final against Liverpool - while Arsenal's are in the east end. What's the prize money? The winners receive £1.8 million, the runners-up £900,000. Team news Danny Welbeck has been ruled out appearing in the final for Arsenal , so Arsene Wenger is likely to have to choose between Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott for a striker role. For Villa, goalkeeper Shay Given has a groin injury and is a major doubt for the game. Latest odds Arsenal to win 3-1 after extra time. Arsenal's FA Cup triumphs North London club have won the trophy 11 times - a joint record alongside Manchester United. Here are their past achievements.

2013-14 Beat Hull City 3-2 2004–05 Beat Manchester United on penalties after game ended 0-0 AET 2002–03 Beat Southampton 1-0 2001–02 Beat Chelsea 2-0 1997–98 Beat Newcastle 2-0 1992–93 Beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in replay 1978–79 Beat Manchester United 3-2 1970–71 Beat Liverpool 2-1 1949–50 Beat Liverpool 2-0 1935–36 Beat Sheffield United 1-0 1929–30 Beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 How Arsenal reached the FA Cup final Third round Arsenal 2-0 Hull City Arsenal’s attempt to become the first team since Chelsea in 2010 to win successive FA Cups begins with a victory against Hull, in a repeat of the 2014 final. Mertesacker opens the scoring before Alexis Sanchez wraps up proceedings late on.

Fourth round Brighton 2-3 Arsenal The Gunners begin superbly, and after finding themselves two up within the first 25 minutes, a whitewash looks like it could be on the cards. To their great credit Brighton peg Arsenal back twice, but they are ultimately unable to find an equaliser. Fifth round Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough Again, Arsenal get their work done early. This time, Olivier Giroud hits two within three first half minutes to seal a comfortable victory. Wenger’s men look confident, with every member of his team managing a touch on the ball before Giroud’s assured opener. Quarter-final Manchester United 1-2 Arsenal Arsenal’s woes at Old Trafford are much documented, but ex-United man Danny Welbeck scores on the hour mark to put his new side 2-1 up against their rivals. The match is made even more notable when Di Maria sees red, for pulling at the referee. Semi-final Arsenal 2-1 Reading (aet.) A sluggish performance enables Reading to take the game to extra time, after Gareth McCleary cancels out a first half goal from Sanchez.

But the Chilean scores the winner in the 106th minute, his tame shot agonisingly squirming its way under the body of Reading ‘keeper Federici. Aston Villa's FA Cup triumphs Midlands club have won the trophy seven times, their last triumph coming back in 1957. 1956–57 Beat Manchester United 2-1 1919–20 Beat Huddersfield 1-0 1912–13 Beat Sunderland 1-0 1904–05 Beat Newcastle 2-0 1896–97 Beat Everton 3-2 1894–95 Beat West Brom 1-0 1886–87 Beat West Brom 2-0 How Aston Villa reached the FA Cup final Third round Aston Villa 1-0 Blackpool Blackpool, nine points adrift at the bottom of the Championship, give a poor Villa side the run around, and only a fantastic Shay Given save prevents them falling behind to an Ishmael Miller strike. Benteke spares the blushes of the Premier League club with a goal two minutes from time.

Fourth round Aston Villa 2-1 Bournemouth An under-pressure Paul Lambert is relieved to watch his side overcome a weakened Bournemouth outfit, with Eddie Howe resting players for their promotion campaign. The scoring is opened by Carles Gil, who finds the net with a stunning curling finish from 25 yards. Fifth round Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester In the same week that the club sack Lambert, replacement Tim Sherwood watches on from the stands as his new club labours through the opening 45 with the score at 0-0. At this point he elects to storm the dressing room and give an impromptu first team talk. It works, and a reinvigorated Villa progress to the quarters. Quarter-final Aston Villa 2-0 West Brom Villa impress in this derby game against the Baggies, and both Fabian Delph and Scott Sinclair find the net as the Villains beat WBA for the second time in a week. There are ugly scenes after the final whistle, however, as supporters storm the pitch.

Semi-final Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool Afforded little hope of progressing to their first cup final since 2000, Villa pull off a considerable cupset to fight back from 1-0 down against Liverpool. Benteke grabs the equaliser before club captain Delph secures a famous victory. Jack Grealish is another bright light for the finalists, excelling in midfield.

Question: Which English football team was both the last to win the FA Cup final at the old Wembley Stadium, and the first to win the FA Cup final at the New Wembley Stadium?
Answer: Chelsea