Arsenal vs Chelsea: 5 key players in crucial FA Cup Final

2. David Luiz

So much of putting him this high on the list has to do with his complete collapse the first time he was asked to face Chelsea, when he slipped up, surrendered a red card and a penalty, set the Gunners behind and left it up to a miracle run from Gabriel Martinelli and a bewildering late goal from Hector Bellerin to see the match to a draw.

The good news is that I believe Luiz to be as professional as they come, so I would never anticipate a second such collapse. It’s just not going to happen. He’s going to be at his best in this one, which is why he ranks so high on the key players list.

If he can keep this defense organized—a defense that may include Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac, so good luck—then we can shut this Chelsea attack out as we’ve done with plenty of teams before.

But it all starts with David Luiz.

Finally, No. 1.