Arsenal triumph over Chelsea: This is why we are fans

Arsenal emerged triumphant over Chelsea in the most improbable of fashions and in the process, hopefully, we all were reminded of why we are fans.

When a club has won two of the last three FA Cups and the manager is vying for a record seventh win, it might be a stretch to claim that David slew Goliath. But Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea sure felt that way.

And it wasn’t a case of an underdog downing a giant with one well-aimed stone. From the opening minute, the Gunners unleashed a barrage of projectiles, staggering the Premier League champs with shots to the head, midsection, and kneecaps.

Several of the challenger’s fiercest slings just missed the target. A nicked ear, a grazed temple, a scorched chin…but the ogre was still standing. So the outcome hung in the balance for 96 thrilling minutes.

In passing, it should be noted that there were two winners today. No, Chelsea didn’t receive a participant’s trophy, nor was Diego Costa named Mr. Congeniality. The second winner was football, because a dive, the scourge of a noble sport, resulted in a player being sent off in a high-profile match.

For Arsenal fans, the day began with a wince — the announcement of the starting lineups. No major surprises, just the demoralizing reality that the Gunners’ top three centerbacks were out.

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So the task of stopping Eden Hazard & friends fell to Per Mertesacker, whose plodding feet hadn’t touched a competitive pitch in over a year (aside from a few minutes last week), and Rob Holding, who wandered over from Bolton and spent six months warming his adolescent heinie on the bench.

Mertesacker rose to the challenge. Taking full advantage of his 3-inch vertical leap, he won ball after ball in the air and used his long legs, anticipation, and knack for positioning to stymie Chelsea’s attack.

Holding, taken down early by a Costa headlock — administered first with an arm and then with two knees — jumped up and barked at the surly striker with such spit-spewing ferocity that his message, whether in Spanish or English, was unmistakably clear.

Determined not to be mistaken for just another backline bulldog, Holding backed up his tenacity with an equal measure of talent. His on-the-ball footwork, vision, and adroit passing bode well for the future.

Behind the cool pro and the feisty rookie, David Ospina stood tall. Assertive yet controlled, he also managed to beat the over-under betting line by staying down for more than two minutes after taking a mild blow to his neckless noggin.

Many Arsenal attackers played well, but Mesut Ozil deserves special recognition. He served us a veritable feast of sublime passing and creativity, with an unexpected side dish of nastiness on one tackle! Building on his recent brilliance, he gave a 90-minute answer to the question, “Daddy, why do they call it the beautiful game?”

Next: Arsenal's 2016/17 team of the season

If anything can surpass the delight of beholding beauty, it’s the exhilaration of experiencing the unexpected: watching a downtrodden Arsenal squad oust Manchester City in the semi-final, before vanquishing Chelsea…on, of all things, a deft little cross from Olivier Giroud.

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