League champions Chelsea lost the FA cup final to their London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, after Aaron Ramsey’s 79th-minute header helped the Gunners pull ahead in a tightly fought game. Substitute Olivier Giroud clipped a perfect cross in from the touchline, but it was Ramsey who deserves all the credit.
Go on, start your week the right way…https://t.co/YCV81THy7m
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 29, 2017
His intuitive run from midfield left him with yards of space to connect with the cross from 7.98 yards to put it beyond the reach of Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
It sparked wild celebrations from the Arsenal fans, who had witnessed the 10-man Chelsea equaliser just minutes before through Diego Costa.
Meanwhile, there was an intense drama about the first Arsenal goal, as Chelsea players expressed disappointment over the decision to award Alexis Sanchez’s goal.
Thanks for sticking with us right until the end on Saturday#WeAreTheArsenal ? pic.twitter.com/p4FrtWRtAU
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 29, 2017
Chelsea skipper Gary Cahill termed the current interpretation of the offside rule as “the maddest rule I have ever seen” as he struggled to come to terms with the decision to allow the goal.
Chelsea was also surprised that the referee, Anthony Taylor, did not penalise Sanchez for handball in the buildup. After that Aaron Ramsey’s initial movement towards the ball from an offside position caused the assistant referee, Gary Beswick, to raise his flag. Yet while Ramsey’s presence may have been a distraction, the fact he did not touch the ball, directly interfere with an opponent or ensure his side gained an unfair advantage through his position meant that the referee eventually allowed the fifth-minute goal.There was also the red card to Victor Moses, who had two second-half bookings, the second one a choreographed attempt to win a penalty, and the send-off significantly halted any chance of a comeback by the Chelsea side.
The Sunday win marked the seventh victory for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, making him the most successful FA Cup manager in history. There have been growing calls for his retirement following another disappointing season for the London side, league season where they finished a whopping 26 points behind the eventual champions Chelsea.
Against the odds, Arsene Wenger wins #FACupFinal for a record breaking 7th time, taking Arsenal to record breaking 13 wins. #InArseneWeTrust pic.twitter.com/YGY22OfARZ
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 27, 2017
