Arsenal Go Up Early in FA Cup Final on Controversial Goal

The EPL may have ended last Sunday, but quietly lurking in the background, the FA Cup has whittled away the competition to a final two. And today, we're treated to a legendary final at that: Chelsea vs. Arsenal at the historical Wembley stadium.

Chelsea may have snuck away with the Title, leaving Arsenal a whopping 18 points behind at 5th in the Prem, but Arsenal has showed up today with a roaring start in their well-earned FA Cup final appearance—netting a goal just within the 4th minute. And who else could have delivered it but Alexis Sanchez?

Just take a look:

Yet, the goal didn't come without its controversy. After some shoddy Chelsea clearance, Sanchez came up with what was basically an arching pass to himself and slotted it past the keeper. Seems legit when you put it that way. Until you count the questionable touch of Sanchez's hand on the initial pass forward—and Aaron Ramsey's offside position and his questionable engagement with the play. (You're not allowed to influence play/obstruct if you've been deemed offside, and Ramsey seemed distracting to the keeper to say the least.)

It seems like whatever we can see in the minutiae from the replay was all lost in the head referee's willingness to correct the lineman's offside call—seeing as how Ramsey didn't touch the ball. Arsenal were eventually awarded the goal.

As it stands, a dominant Arsenal are up 1-0 at the half.

UPDATE (2:27pm)

So Chelsea got their hands on an equalizer, despite only having 10 men on the field after a pretty bunk second yellow card on Victor Moses. But they somehow managed it when Diego Costa (duh) headed the ball down and slapped it in from close:

But Arsenal wouldn't stand for having their parade rained on, scoring nearly two minutes after Costa's equalizer.

Aaron Ramsey found himself at the other end of a chippy cross off the end line and directed it beautifully with his head to a spot well out of reach from the Chelsea keeper:

Arsenal were dominating this game—with or without a missing Chelsea man—and surely deserved to raise the Cup. Expect to see Arsene Wenger sighing all kinds of French le sighs.