Liverpool legend and BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has tipped Chelsea to comfortably beat Arsenal in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley, as long as they take control of the midfield.

The Blues come into the tie looking to win the double after securing a brilliant Premier League title win in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

With stars such as N’Golo Kante - the PFA Player of the Year - Eden Hazard and Diego Costa in fine form and the Gunners only securing a fifth-place finish in the league, the west London outfit come into the clash as firm favourites to lift the famous trophy in captain John Terry’s final ever game for the club.

They have been given further help by the fact that Arsene Wenger is suffering from an injury crisis with Petr Cech, Gabriel Paulista and Shkodran Mustafi all set to miss out through injury, while Laurent Koscielny is suspended.

It could mean that David Ospina is given the nod in goal while Per Mertesacker could make his first start in 13 months.

Despite the Gunners suffering at the back, Lawrenson believes winning the midfield battle will be the key to whoever is to lift the famous trophy, and he says stopping the likes of Kante and Nemanja Matic will be a difficult task.

The 59-year-old told BBC Football: “The key area on Saturday for Arsenal is not their defence, or their attack - which is very strong. It is in midfield.

“Chelsea will win comfortably if they take control of that area but Arsenal should not be short of numbers in there.

“I think that is how they will be approaching the game - to complete the job - and this Chelsea team is a machine that is very difficult to stop.

“Whatever the state of the game - whether they are holding on to a lead, or chasing a goal - they are ruthless.”

https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/antonio-conte.mp4