It’s kick off for FA Cup Final live from Wembley

A lot has happened since the likes of Framlingham Town, Plymouth Parkway, Brimscombe & Thrupp and Winterton Rangers were in FA Cup Preliminary Round action way back in August 2019.

Now, after the longest of seasons, the showpiece final is at last able to take place and the destination of the final piece of domestic silverware will be decided.

Although the 139th edition will be played without supporters, robbing us of the perennial crackling FA Cup final atmosphere, it still promises to be a keenly-contested match on the hallowed Wembley turf.

Today’s showdown, presented on the BBC by Gary Lineker, with analysis from Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, will be an all-London affair, as 2018 victors Chelsea take on the winners from three years ago, Arsenal, in a repeat of the 2002 and 2017 finals.

The fixture is also a re-run of the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final which Chelsea won 4-1.

Arsenal will be looking to lift the cup for a record 14th time, and the Gunners have had to fight hard to earn their spot in the final.

Following wins over Leeds United, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Sheffield United, the North London side were drawn to play current FA Cup holders Manchester City in the semi-final a fortnight ago.

Pep Guardiola’s City were heavy favourites to sweep aside their opponents, but they squandered both possession and chances allowing Arsenal skipper and top-scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to strike in either half and secure a 2-0 win for Mikel Arteta’s men.

The Gunners’ opponents today are targeting their ninth FA Cup triumph and Chelsea have also had an eventful journey to this stage.

They overcame Nottingham Forest and Hull City, before being drawn at home against the now Premier League champions Liverpool in the fifth round.

They managed to overcome the Reds 2–0 with goals from Willian and Ross Barkley, before seeing off Leicester City and setting up a semi-final against Manchester United.

It was the the fourth consecutive season the sides have met in the cup competition.

Frank Lampard’s men took advantage of two errors from United goalkeeper David de Gea, with strikes from Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount and Harry Maguire’s own goal securing a 3-1 win.

Whichever side triumphs today – Arteta’s Gunners or Lampard’s Blues – one of the English game’s most promising young coaches will be lifting a trophy in their debut season at club.

After today’s FA Cup final, there is just the Championship play-off final to be settled on Tuesday before the domestic season can finally be wrapped up.

At times during the lockdown in the spring, it looked like the whole campaign was in danger of being made null and void due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But fair play to the FA, it has taken a lot of effort to get the majority of the professional competitions concluded.

Sure, today’s FA Cup final will seem different to previous years, but the fact that it’s taking place in the middle of a global pandemic should be regarded as a minor miracle.

If this year’s events have taught us one thing, it’s to take extra care to look after our physical and mental wellbeing.

And in that spirit, this year’s showpiece match will be known as the Heads Up FA Cup final to raise awareness about mental health.

The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, who serves as president of the FA, said: “We’re going to really use the final as a moment to promote good, positive mental health for everyone. It’s quite timely bearing in mind what we’ve all been through with this pandemic.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you