The 2015 FA Cup final: Arsenal v Aston Villa - in pictures
Our photographer was at Wembley as Arsenal demolished Aston Villa 4-0 to win the FA Cup for a record 12th time
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Fans make their way to the stadium from the tube station
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Though this Villa fan arrived via a more luxurious mode of transport. Wonder if it’s Prince William’s car?
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Villa fans with masks.
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Inside the ground the Villa fans are enjoying themselves before kick-off.
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The two teams line up.
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The band before they play the National Anthem, which was sung by Alfie Boe.
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Santi Cazorla is dispossessed by Ashley Westwood as Arsenal have the better of the early stages.
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Aston Villa keeper Shay Given flaps at an Arsenal cross.
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Westwood controls the ball as Alexis Sánchez and Tom Cleverley look on.
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Kieran Richardson attempts to block Héctor Bellerín’s cross.
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Sánchez uses a bit of fancy control to wrong foot Cleverley.
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Five minutes before half-time Arsenal get the lead that their pressure deserved. Sánchez rises above Villa’s unconvincing centre-halves, heading back across for Theo Walcott, who enters the area from the left and thwacks a blistering volley into the net.
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Five minutes after half-time Arsenal double their lead when Sánchez, 30 yards out down the inside-left channel, drops a shoulder to move inside, then unleashes a swerving, rising shot that deceives Given and whips into the roof of the net.
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Sánchez wheels away ...
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Then a huge leap and a grin shows he’s rather pleased with that finish, and so he should be, it was rather fabulous.
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Being two goals to the good and with such a dominant performance the Arsenal fans are sure that the FA Cup will be staying at the Emirates.
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Make that three goals to the good, as just after the hour mark, a corner comes in, Per Mertesacker rises, and carefully plants a header into the net.
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Mertesacker acknowledges the celebrating Gooners.
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That third goal was the signal for this Arsenal fan to adorn his carefully painted FA Cup trophy with the Arsenal ribbons.
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Christian Benteke had a quiet game and wasn’t able to help Villa get back into the match.
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Jack Wilshere, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Francis Coquelin tussle for the ball
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The Villa fans wait for the final whistle to put them out of their misery. However their humiliation is complete during injury time when Olivier Giroud turns in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s shot to make it Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa.
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The final whistle goes and Arsenal have won the FA Cup for a record 12th time.
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Jack Grealish’s posture says it all.
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As does that of Villa’s manager Tim Sherwood.
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As the Arsenal players celebrate just after the final whistle, Cazorla proves that he’s a better footballer than photographer when he grabs Tom Jenkins’ remote camera to take some selfies of himself and his team-mates.
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Though his picture of the celebrating Arsenal fans is at least in focus.
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Aaron Ramsey, left, shows Cazorla how it’s done when he has a go at a selfie.
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Arsène Wenger is all smiles as the winners wait to go up the steps to the Royal Box
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Finally the time arrives and the Arsenal fans try to get near their heroes as they climb the stairs to the Royal Box to collect the trophy.
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Aston Villa fan Prince William congratulates Mertesacker. The German is performing the captain’s duties while Mikel Arteta is out injured.
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Mertesacker and Arteta, who is doing a ‘John Terry’ by donning his kit during the trophy ceremony, hoist the FA Cup high amid the celebrating Arsenal players.
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Now it’s Wenger’s turn to get his hands on the trophy.
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Once the players are back on the pitch the celebrations can begin in earnest.
