2015 FA Cup final

The 2015 FA Cup final was an association football match played between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium, London, on 30 May 2015. Organised by the Football Association (FA), it was the 134th final of the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup), the world's oldest football cup competition. En route to the final, Arsenal defeated Hull City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Middlesbrough, Manchester United and Reading (after extra time). Aston Villa secured victories over Blackpool, Bournemouth, Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool in the rounds before the final. Theo Walcott gave Arsenal the lead in the 40th minute. Nacho Monreal crossed from the left side of the pitch to Alexis Sánchez whose header found Walcott who struck the ball on the volley into the goal. Ten minutes later, Alexis Sánchez struck the ball from around 30 yards (27 m) into the roof of the Aston Villa net to double his side's lead before Per Mertesacker made it 3–0 with a header midway through the second half. Three minutes into stoppage time, Olivier Giroud scored from close range to give Arsenal a 4–0 victory. It was the sixth FA Cup win for manager Arsène Wenger, putting him in joint first place for wins with George Ramsay. Arsenal had already qualified for the Champions League by finishing third in the Premier League, and following a change in UEFA rules, the remaining Europa League place went to Southampton, the highest-placed Premier League team that had not qualified for any European competition instead of Aston Villa. As FA Cup winners, Arsenal played Chelsea, winners of the Premier League, in the 2015 FA Community Shield at Wembley.