Welbeck: Gunners to right the wrongs of league campaign at Wembley

Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck insists he has unfinished business in the FA Cup as he prepares to walk out onto the Wembley turf to face Chelsea in Saturday’s final.

Welbeck played an influential part in the Gunners’ run to the trophy last season, scoring a quarter-final winner against Manchester United, but was forced to watch his side’s triumph over Aston Villa in the final from the sidelines with a knee injury.

That same injury saw him miss out on the early stages of the 2016/17 season, making his return to first-team action in Arsenal’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Southampton in January.

In that game, he scored the opening two goals in a 5-0 win at St Mary’s, and while Arsenal’s season may have not gone to plan with a fifth place finish, they are determined to right the wrongs of their league campaign at Wembley this weekend.

(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“As a club, with the way the season’s panned out, it’s not a [league] position we want to be in at all,” he said.

“We know that we’ve got the opportunity of playing in the FA Cup final, and it’s something we really want to do our best in.

“With the last cup final, I wasn’t on the pitch and that was disappointing for me. It was a bittersweet moment for me because you know you’ve played your part to get there and your team-mates are winning and lifting the trophy, but you wanted to be a part of that and play a part on the pitch as well.

“It’s difficult but it’s now something that’s behind me and you can’t change it. I’ve got the final to look forward to this season, so it’s something that I’m going to enjoy. I’m going to play the game and try to win the final.

“Wembley is a place I know really well because I’ve played there multiple times. If you know the surroundings a bit better, it gives you that kind of familiarity.

“It’s a great place to play and what better occasion than the FA Cup final. Hopefully we’ll be able to lift the cup again.”