Arsenal player ratings: Alexis Sanchez and Per Mertesacker shine in FA Cup Final

It’s fair to say that Tim Sherwood’s squad should have come out to play tough against Arsenal, using the Sunderland strategy to force the Gunners to find space in the attacking half by defending for most of the game before pouncing on opportunities to counter. Instead, Arsenal avoided a goalless performance, as they created a plethora of clear-cut chances and were perhaps unlucky not to score until 40 minutes into the match.

The Gunners provided us with a masterclass of a performance in the FA Cup Final, and Arsene Wenger’s decision to play Theo Walcott up top over Olivier Giroud definitely paid off. Walcott’s pace opened up chances for the rest of his teammates, and both he and Alexis Sanchez successfully traded places at one point in the contest, helping to set up Walcott’s wonderful left-footed volley to break the deadlock.

Below are match ratings for every player on Arsenal in their 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, and it’s no surprise to see that every single player on the team (starter or sub) put in a strong shift.