Arsenal Beat Chelsea 2-1 in Controversy-Filled FA Cup Final

Arsenal finished their 2016-17 campaign by winning their third FA Cup in the last four years, beating rivals Chelsea 2-1 on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.

Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring early with a controversial goal, and the Gunners dominated the rest of the first half.

Victor Moses received a second yellow card for diving after the break, complicating Chelsea's comeback even further. Diego Costa appeared to come to the rescue with about 15 minutes left to play, but Aaron Ramsey restored the lead a few minutes later.

Here's a look at the teams for the final, courtesy of Soka360:

Arsenal started the match well and took an early lead with Sanchez's goal. The Chilean appeared to control the ball with his hand before powering into the box, where Ramsey seemed to interfere with play.

The linesman raised the flag before Sanchez scored, but official Anthony Taylor overruled the decision, prompting this tweet from former U.S. international Jimmy Conrad:

Predictably, the game threatened to spill out of control after the incident. Costa clashed with Rob Holding, and Ramsey was booked shortly after for a cynical foul on Pedro.

But the Gunners kept their focus, with Sanchez narrowly missing the target from long range and forcing a goal-line clearance from Gary Cahill minutes later. ESPN FC's Iain Macintosh was impressed:

Danny Welbeck hit the post with a good header before Costa finally earned the first chance for the Premier League champions, drawing a save from Gunners 'keeper David Ospina.

Cahill again cleared a ball off the line, this time after a deflected shot from Welbeck, and Pedro missed the target by inches with a clean strike. At half-time, despite the controversy surrounding the actual goal, the Gunners deserved their lead.

The Blues started the second half on the front foot, and a deflected shot from N'Golo Kante almost caused Ospina problems. Nick Akerman of Bleacher Report noticed things still weren't running smoothly, however:

The chances kept coming for the Gunners, and Courtois had to produce an excellent save to stop Hector Bellerin from doubling the lead. 

There was more controversy to come, as Moses was sent off with 22 minutes left to play. The Nigerian was already on a yellow card when he made the inexplicable decision to dive for a penalty. Taylor had a big choice to make and didn't hesitate, producing the red card.

Former England international Gary Lineker couldn't believe Moses' thinking:

The match became stretched with Arsenal looking to capitalise on their numerical advantage and put the game to bed. Just as it seemed the Gunners would blow away Chelsea, though, Costa came through with a volley. Ospina will perhaps be disappointed with his efforts to keep the ball out.

As Arsenal appeared ready to collapse, Ramsey gave his side the lead back, with Chelsea's defence caught napping, per Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett:

The Blues again had to chase, and David Luiz went close with a header. At the other end of the pitch, Bellerin nearly closed the deal, but his shot went just wide.

Ospina denied Costa before Mesut Ozil continued the Gunners' poor luck with the woodwork, striking the post. The last minutes of the final were nervy for both sides, but despite more half-chances, Arsenal remained in control to seal the trophy.

It's a positive ending to what has been a disappointing season for the Gunners, who won't be in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over two decades. Despite all of the setbacks, Arsenal finish the campaign with more trophies than rivals Tottenham Hotspur.