More than just a cup at stake

The FA Cup may have taken a backseat to the lucrative Premier League and Champions League competitions in recent years, but TODAY’s London-based football analyst Adrian Clarke (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) explains why this Sunday’s final will be a defining moment for Aston Villa’s and Arsenal’s seasons.

FA CUP FINAL: ASTON VILLA vs ARSENAL

A beautiful, iconic silver trophy is up for grabs at Wembley Stadium tonight, but the true prize on offer at the 134th FA Cup Final is stature.

Which club will see theirs gloriously enhanced on the global stage?

Seven-time winners Aston Villa are hell-bent on reminding the world they are not has-beens — and understandably so.

It is 58 years since the club’s claret and blue ribbons last adorned the handles of this cup.

It is 33 years since the kings of England’s “second city” were crowned champions of Europe. It is 19 years since they won the last of their five League Cup triumphs, too.

An entire generation has grown up, only ever knowing Aston Villa as a run-of-the-mill club. Having come this far, victory beneath the arch is a wonderful opportunity to alter that perception.

Win or lose, they do at least have the royal seal of approval.

Heir to the throne Prince William is a huge Villa fan, but even he confessed this week that his initial choice was based on not wanting to follow the crowd, and because they were a “middle of the table” side.

If the Duke of Cambridge presents the FA Cup to Fabian Delph this evening, all those underwhelming seasons will be swept away in an instant. Suddenly, supporting Villa will be cool again.

To hang on to Christian Benteke this summer, they may need a victory.

It has been reported that the Belgian has a buy-out clause in the region of £32.5million (S$66.9 million), and based on his current form there will be a queue all the way up Wembley Way for his signature at that price. The joy of celebration and the lure of European football may be their only hope of keeping him as one of their own.

Aston Villa may have lost their last two Premier League games, but Tim Sherwood’s arm-around-the-shoulder approach has re-energised the side. Danger men Benteke, Delph, Tom Cleverley and Jack Grealish are now full of beans instead of frustration. Their batteries have been well and truly recharged.

This enterprise, quality and belief helped see off Liverpool with surprising ease in the semi-final, but they will need to play just as well again to stand a chance. Can they prove it was not a one-off? To make their mark in history, they must.

Arsenal will start as red-hot favourites for a reason. Since being humbled 3-1 on home turf by the Villains in 2013, they lead 10-1 in the three contests that have since elapsed. This season in isolation, it is 8-0.

It is the firepower that makes them so frightening.

I expect a front five of Giroud, Sanchez, Ozil, Cazorla and Ramsey to start this final, with Walcott and Wilshere chomping at the bit to make a difference late on. With all due respect to Liverpool, Sherwood’s defence did not have that level of attacking armoury to cope with in the last four. It is an altogether more intimidating challenge.

Even if Arsenal start sluggishly at Wembley (as has been their way), the men in yellow know that at any stage they have the capability to obliterate a Villa defence that was blown away 6-1 by Southampton just a fortnight ago. As Hull City found to their cost a year ago, scoring one, or even two goals, may not be enough.

Stature-wise, this is unquestionably a watershed moment for Arsenal.

A shock defeat would mean stagnation. Yes, they finished third instead of fourth, but this trophy is required to maintain progress. Arsene Wenger’s upward curve will be slashed to the ground, and the knives will be out for him once more.

On the other hand, back-to-back FA Cup triumphs will send out a clear message that this team, his team, is full of winners.

Fans around the world, and prospective transfer targets will look on and perceive Arsenal as one of English football’s superpowers once more. A record-breaking 12th crown would also officially make the Gunners the most successful team in the history of the competition.

For both clubs there is clearly more than just a shiny 48cm high trophy at stake tonight. A giant leap in credibility is also up for grabs.

FA cup final: the key battles

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE vs PER MERTESACKER

There is only one Aston Villa player the Gunners might have lost sleep worrying about, and that is Benteke.

If they are clever, Arsenal’s game plan will focus on stopping crosses being flung into their box but when they cannot stop those deliveries at source, Mertesacker must get tough on the burly Belgian. If he does not, no one is more lethal with one-touch finishes in the air, or on the floor, than Villa’s top scorer.

Concentration is not always Mertesacker’s strong suit, so his unflinching partner Laurent Koscielny needs to be close enough to cover.

Benteke is also underrated with the ball at his feet. If allowed the time and space to run at Mertesacker, the Villa star is favourite to win that foot race every single time.

ASHLEY WESTWOOD vs MESUT OZIL

In their last two meetings, Ozil has run the show. Villa have not come up with a tactical ploy to negate the German’s genial craft. That negligence has allowed him to elegantly boss proceedings.

Defensive midfielder Westwood has to stay disciplined and deny the German World Cup winner space. If the Midlanders are not compact enough without the ball and do not get bodies around the German, Westwood may find this a thankless task against Arsenal’s playmaker, who has been in sublime form.

TIM SHERWOOD vs ARSENE WENGER

I have it on good authority that Sherwood is an Arsenal fan, but he will have no problem putting that allegiance aside.

The FA Cup Final is a wonderful opportunity for him to shed the sarcastic ‘Tactics Tim’ tag that has hovered over him since taking some heavy beatings as Tottenham boss last term.

Is Sherwood prepared to adapt his ambitious attacking approach, and come up with a strategy that will stifle the Gunners? This will be the key to victory. If he and his team find the right balance, it could be the making of him as a manager.

Elder statesman Wenger has seen it all before. If the match is close though, the timing of Wenger’s impact substitutions could win or lose him the final.

Adrian Clarke, TODAY’s EPL analyst, is a former Arsenal midfielder who has played at every level of English football. Now an experienced sports journalist, he writes for many publications around the world.

FA Cup Final “live” on TV

— Aston Villa v Arsenal: Singtel TV Ch111, 12.30am on Sunday