Was the thrashing of West Brom exactly what Arsenal needed ahead of the FA Cup final?

Arsenal ended their 2014/15 Premier League campaign with a resounding win against West Bromwich Albion, thrashing the West Midlands side 4-1. This was courtesy of a Theo Walcott hat-trick and a goal from Jack Wilshere, making only his second start in the league after returning from a lengthy ankle injury, with a spectacular finish that was later voted Goal of the Season on Match of the Day. What does does such a result offer Arsenal ahead of the prestigious final, though?

Boost in confidence:

Suffice to say, Arsenal were not in the best run of form prior to the West Brom game. The North London side had failed to score in their three previous home games, and had only won one of their last five Premier League games. Such a poor run demoralises the players, and leads to a lack of focus and sharpness ahead of the big day. However, this emphatic win on Sunday, with all the cogs of this Arsenal side perfectly aligned to produce a masterclass of attacking play, surely would have raised the confidence and performance of the players, increasing the odds of back-to-back FA Cup wins. This increase in form, compared to final opponents Aston Villa, who have lost their past two league games, gives Arsenal a healthy platform to retain the FA Cup from.

A team in sync:

To fully play "The Arsenal Way", it requires each and every player of the Arsenal side to be in complete harmony, to recognise and anticipate the precise movements of their team-mates and to create an attacking play worthy of a goal. In the past month, Arsenal have looked lethargic in front of the goal, missing a killer edge that has caused the North London side to go, prior to the West Brom game, three home games without a goal. The 4-1 thrashing demonstrated a return to Arsene Wenger's famous philosophy, and the connection on the pitch between the players became unrivalled. Such a change in play should favour Arsenal going into the final, knowing the high level of intenisty at which they can play at, gearing towards an Arsenal win.

Altogether, the thrashing of West Brom provides Arsenal with a vital platform in order to win consecutive FA Cups. A squad in sync, playing football in elegant fashion at their peak, timed well with a decline in performace by Aston Villa, their opponents in the final, means that the jigsaw is in place for Arsenal to win an English-record 12th FA Cup.