Olivier Giroud is one of the more intriguing storylines as we head into the London derby FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. The Frenchman notably proclaimed that the national stadium is his house after helping lead the Blues to a win over Manchester United in the FA Cup finale in 2018.
He’ll take on his former team here while riding a purple patch, having scored in his last four appearances. The 33-year-old has found himself to be Frank Lampard’s first choice to lead the line during the restart, and he’s responded by producing prolificly. Six of his eight league goals have been scored in the restart.
It will be interesting to see how he fits in the team next season, given all the additions in attack Stamford Bridge is making.
You can bank on him getting first team nod here, and the same goes for 38-year-old back-up goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Lampard seems to have sent a clear message that he’s done with Kepa Arrizabalaga, so with the Argentine in between the sticks this Chelsea lineup will certainly have a Xennial/young Gen X contingent; to complement all the millenials and Gen Zs in the first team.
Predicted Lineup for Chelsea vs Arsenal (FA Cup Final):
Caballero; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso; Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount; Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic, Giroud
FA Cup Final FYIs
Kickoff: Aug. 1, Wembley Stadium, 5:30 pm
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal Chelsea
Head to Head: Arsenal wins 76 Draws 59 Chelsea wins 65
TV/Stream: Sky Sports/Sky Go (UK) None/ESPN+ (U.S.)
Odds: Arsenal win 5/2 Chelsea win 5/4
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Arsenal 1
Yes, this competition is certainly Arsenal’s house, so to speak, historically, but we’re picking Lampard’s side to hoist the trophy.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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