Arsene Wenger makes surprise decision to drop Petr Cech for the FA Cup Final

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is likely to face the wrath of the club’s supporters after having picked David Ospina to start the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, The Mail reports.

Petr Cech has been the club’s number one over the course of the league season with Ospina being handed the duties in the Cup and European games.

In spite of this, the former Czech international has featured in the quarterfinal and semifinal stage of the FA Cup with Ospina having missed the run through injury.

Facing his former club in the final would have been a delight for the 35-year-old, but it appears that Wenger has decided to disappoint him by offering Ospina the shot-stopper’s job.

Ospina last appeared for the Gunners during their visit of West Bromwich Albion in March where he made a couple of blunders in the 3-1 defeat to Tony Pulis’ side.

Since then, he has been recuperating from a muscle problem in the physio room but has managed to recover in time to make the squad for the Wembley showpiece.

Ospina’s inclusion may not be the sole surprise in the Gunners lineup with club captain Per Mertesacker likely to earn his first start in nearly 13 months unless Shkodran Mustafi makes a surprise recovery from his concussion.

Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also a candidate to feature in the wing-back position, but he may be deployed on the left flank with Kieran Gibbs likely to start on the bench with a minor thigh problem.

Arsenal have enjoyed their FA Cup runs in the past couple of seasons, and they will stand the chance of celebrating their third title in four years, should they manage to compete with the Blues in all departments.

Prediction:

Arsenal are likely to have a tough time versus their west London counterparts, and the makeshift defence will have to be intact to obtain a positive result.

Backing the Gunners to win in extra-time, Arsenal 2 – 1 Chelsea.

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