Build up to cup final England and Scotland

The showpiece English FA Cup and Scottish Cup
finals on Saturday will see Arsenal face Aston Villa
at Wembley and Falkirk play Inverness Caledonian
Thistle at Hampden Park.
A global TV audience of half a billion people is
expected to watch the Gunners take on Villa.
Arsenal, seeking a record 12th FA Cup, face a club
who last won it in 1957.
In Scotland, top-flight Inverness CT and second-
tier Falkirk make for an unexpected final line-up.
Arsenal v Aston Villa (17:30 BST)
Arsenal are odds-on favourites to win the world's
longest-running cup competition, which brings the
English season to a conclusion.
The London side, managed by Arsene Wenger, won
last year's FA Cup to move level with Manchester
United with 11 wins in the competition.
They beat Villa 3-0 and 5-0 in the league this
season and finished 14 places above them, in
third. Villa narrowly avoided relegation, ending the
top-flight season one place above the drop zone.
Tim Sherwood's side have not reached this stage
since 2000, when they were beaten 1-0 by
Chelsea.
The BBC will be broadcasting the climax to the
prestigious tournament for the first time since
2008.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"It's not easy to get to the FA Cup final and it's not
easy to finish in the top three in England.
"We have been remarkably consistent since
January and that's why I think we have a good
chance next season."
Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood:
"I know what the boys are capable of in one-off
games. On big occasions, they've produced the
goods and we need to do it one more time.
"The boys performed on a huge stage as
underdogs against Liverpool [Villa recorded a 2-1
win in the semi-final], but we deserved to win that
game and we're hoping we can do the same."
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will miss the final
after failing to recover from a knee injury.
Attacking midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, full-
back Mathieu Debuchy and captain Mikel Arteta are
in contention after returning to training following
recent injuries.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given could be set to
take his place in goal having recovered from a
groin injury.
Full-back Aly Cissokho, midfielder Kieran
Richardson and defender Jores Okore trained along
with Given on Friday, but centre-back Ciaran Clark
is out with a knee injury.
Arsenal v Aston Villa - FA Cup final facts
This will be Arsenal's 19th FA Cup final, a
record for any team. They already share the
record of 11 wins with Manchester United.
Saturday will be Arsenal's 40th appearance at
Wembley (old and new stadium combined),
again more than any other team.
Only George Ramsay (six with Aston Villa
between 1887 and 1920) has won the FA Cup
as a manager more times than Arsene Wenger.
Villa have played in the FA Cup final 10 times,
winning seven, making them the fourth-most
successful side in the competition (Tottenham
have won eight finals).
Inverness CT v Falkirk (15:00 BST)
There will be a surprise name on the Scottish Cup
as Premiership side Inverness Caledonian Thistle
take on Championship club Falkirk.
League champions and 36-time winners Celtic
were seen off by Caley Thistle following a dramatic
semi-final that finished 1-1 in normal time and
witnessed three more goals in extra-time, with
defender David Raven grabbing the winner.
Manager John Hughes's side will be looking to go
one better than in 2014, when they were beaten by
Aberdeen on penalties in the Scottish League Cup
final - their first major cup final. They have already
secured a spot in the Europa League after finishing
third in the Premiership.
Two-time winners Falkirk, meanwhile, came
through three rounds before Craig Sibbald's 75th-
minute effort saw off fellow Championship side
Hibernian.
The Bairns won the trophy in 1913 and 1957, but
they were in the final as recently as 2009 when
they were beaten 1-0 by Rangers.
TEAM NEWS
Falkirk's fit-again striker Rory Loy is in the squad,
but the Bairns' top scorer, who has not featured
since injuring an ankle against Queen of the South
in the quarter-final on 6 March, may start on the
bench. Mark Kerr and John Baird are both cup-
tied.
Inverness are without the suspended Gary Warren
after the defender was booked in the semi-final
win.
Long-term absentee Richie Foran remains on the
sidelines because of a knee injury.
Falkirk manager Peter Houston:
"I think we all agree that Inverness are
overwhelming favourites as they are third in the
Scottish Premiership and they are there for a
reason - they are a really good side.
"I have a fair idea what team John Hughes will
play and he might have a fair idea what we will
play as well.
"But it is down to the Saturday afternoon and who
handles it.
"In a one-off situation anything can happen and
because you are underdogs it doesn't mean you
can't win the match."
Inverness manager John Hughes:
"This year, getting that Europa League spot
through the league placing for the first time in the
club's history - that's your bread and butter. That
tells you how good a team you are throughout the
season.
"Then the Scottish Cup final. If we can go and win
it, it would be remarkable."