FA Cup final: Arsenal vs Chelsea
23 July 2020
Arsenal will face Chelsea in an all-London FA Cup final at the beginning of next month. The city rivals will meet in a repeat of the 2002 and 2017 finals.
On Saturday, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal secured their spot in the final after stunning reigning champions Manchester City in the semi-finals at Wembley as Gabonese star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored in the 19th and 71st minutes. The captain’s brace has ended the Citizens’ reign as FA Cup holders.
Chelsea put three goals past the Red Devils on Sunday, helped by two errors from Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea and an own goal by captain Harry Maguire. French forward Olivier Giroud opened the scoring for the Blues shortly before half-time to help Lampard’s side defeat United and set up a London Derby with his former club Arsenal. English midfielder Mason Mount doubled Chelsea’s lead in the second half before Harry Maguire put a goal into his own net in the 74th minute to make it 3-0.
Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes scored a consolation goal for Manchester United from the penalty spot in the 85th minute. It was too late for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to equalise and the match ended 3-1. Frank Lampard’s men have ended United's 19-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. 42-year-old coach Lampard, who is the club’s record goalscorer, is looking to lift his first trophy as Chelsea manager.
The Blues are seeking a ninth FA Cup title, last winning in 2018 when they defeated Manchester United in the final, while the Gunners are now one victory away from securing a record of 14 FA Cup titles.
When is the FA Cup final?
The 2020 FA Cup final will take place at Wembley Stadium on August 1, just a week after the Premier League season ends. The match will be held behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.