Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has admitted that the team collectively have learned lessons from their nervy 3-2 win over Hull City in last year's FA Cup final. Arséne Wenger's men are back at Wembley tomorrow afternoon, and entertain Aston Villa in the final, with the chance to retain the trophy that secured the end of their long-awaited trophy drought.

Ramsey scored an extra-time winner to seal their complete comeback having gone two-nil down in quick succession against the newly-relegated side twelve months ago, and Arsenal are eager to ensure they do not suffer the same fate tomorrow, instead winning in normal time. Aston Villa, managed by Tim Sherwood, are the only opponent left blocking the Gunners from sealing a second successive FA Cup triumph, as well as a joint-record sixth for the Frenchman at the helm. 

Aaron stated: "We never do it easy. We've experienced what it's like now, going a few goals behind early in the game, but we still believed in ourselves and our ability to get through it. Hopefully it will be a bit easier this time and we won't have to put so many people through that. Villa are a good team, very solid and of late they've been in really good form, so we'll have to be aware of that. It's so important to have that hunger and determination to go out and prove that you're worthy winners. All the lads are even more hungry to win something this time around. We want that feeling that we had last year and we want to go on and win more things.

Arsenal finished third in this season's Premier League, which is a credible effort from a side that have suffered with many injuries to key players throughout the campaign. They'll be hoping to mount a strong challenge next season, as they were twelve points adrift of eventual winners, Chelsea. Ramsey continued: "Hopefully we can win the FA Cup this year - then that'll be two things in two years so hopefully we can just keep that run of winning things going. Back-to-back finals are not an easy thing to achieve. In the second-half of the season we have shown the form that we need throughout the season to win this league. We certainly showed that we are capable of going on these big runs and not losing too many games. If we can just show that consistency throughout theh season, then we'll be challenging for the Premier League and that's what we'll be looking to do next year.

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Mosope Ominiyi
Writer and editor - European football analyst, youth enthusiast. Email: [email protected]