Arsenal eased the disappointment of missing out on a top-four finish by beating Premier League champions Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.

Aaron Ramsey headed home a 78th minute winner, two minutes after Spain striker Diego Costa cancelled out Alexis Sanchez's fifth minute opener for Arsene Wenger's side.

Wenger, who has been under intense pressure in the Gunners hotseat this season, has now won the competition an unmatched seven times, while it is also the club's 13 such triumph - also a record.

Arsenal started on the front foot with Sanchez netting with the first real chance of the tie. It was a controversial goal as the Chilean appeared to use his hand to knock a miscued clearance from David Luiz past N'golo Kante before racing onto a ball intended for the offside Ramsey before slotting home under Thibaut Courtois.

Chelsea were clearly shellshocked after the goal and so nearly conceded a second as Sanchez fired just over the bar after picking up a Danny Welbeck pass.

Nacho Monreal was on hand to block a Costa shot from inside the box after the ball broke to him following a good Eden Hazard run.

Mesut Ozil then really should have scored after latching onto a Sanchez pass before beating Courtois with his scuffed shot that Gary Cahill sensationally back-heeled off the line.

Arsenal then proceeded to hit the post, twice in quick succession, first with Welbeck's header from an Ozil corner beating Courtois but not the woodwork, before the ball rebounded off of Ramsey and back off the same post.

David Ospina denied Costa with a save off his face before Cahill was forced to clear off the line for the second time, as from the counter attack, Hector Bellerin fed Welbeck, who saw his deflected shot beat the Chelsea goalkeeper but not Cahill.

Courtois saved from a good Granit Xhaka volley from the edge of the area before Pedro snatched at his 39th minute effort after another positive run from Hazard as this match swung from end to end in a fascinating first half.

Chelsea were marginally on top at the start of the second half as Ospina denied Kante before the Arsenal stopper parried a Victor Moses shot, as Per Mertesacker completed the clearance.

Pedro then picked up a Moses pass but disappointingly fired wide ahead of a fine save from Courtois, low to his right to keep out Bellerin.

Moses then inexplicably got himself sent off for diving, having earlier picked up a yellow card for a foul on Welbeck.

Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both had shots fly off target before Chelsea amazingly leveled, through Costa on 77 minutes. Luiz played in substitute Willian, who in turn fed Costa, who chested the ball down and fired his shot in off Mertesacker.

Chelsea's joy was short-lived though as Ramsey netted what proved to be the winner minutes later as he easily headed home from an Olivier Giroud cross.

Luiz headed a Willian free-kick inches wide ahead of another near goal for Bellerin, who shot just across the face of Courtois' goal.

And with the match winding down, Costa somehow failed to beat Ospina after being set up by Hazard in the box while Ozil smashed against a post for the final real chance of this epic FA Cup final.