Both wingers scored before Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud sealed victory as Tim Sherwood’s first cup final as a manager ended in a chastening defeat
Arsenal retained the FA Cup as they proved to be far too strong for Aston Villa at Wembley.

Theo Walcott opened the scoring with a powerful finish before Alexis Sanchez doubled the lead with a stunning strike from distance early in the second period.

Per Mertesacker made the game safe with a header soon after before substitute Olivier Giroud added a late fourth as the Gunners became the most successful side in the competition’s history with 12 wins.

Perhaps wary of repeating last season’s disastrous start against Hull City, which saw them go two goals behind, Arsene Wenger’s side began on the front foot in a frenetic opening 10 minutes and gradually cranked up the pressure on Shay Given’s goal with a series of corners and set-pieces.

The former Newcastle United goalkeeper – starting a second Cup final 17 years after his first, which also ended in defeat to Wenger’s side – was required to claw out Laurent Koscielny’s lofted header before Aaron Ramsey got across the returning Jores Okore to ripple the side-netting.

Ramsey scooped another effort over soon after, while Villa looked in vain to Christian Benteke as an outlet in a bid to relieve the pressure.

However, Given’s goal continued to lead a charmed life as Kieran Richardson blocked Walcott’s goalbound effort, only for the striker to open the scoring five minutes before the break.

Sanchez’s header dropped kindly in the box and Walcott made no mistake – ending Villa’s resistance with a powerful finish at the near post.

Arsenal began the second half as they ended the first – dominating possession and linking neatly up front – with Sanchez doubling the advantage in spectacular fashion.

A dipping effort from 30 yards had a perplexed Given beaten all ends up as the Chilean effectively wrapped up the victory with his 25th goal of an impressive debut season with the club.

Despite the introduction of Gabriel Agbonlahor for Charles N’Zogbia, Villa never looked like repeating Arsenal’s heroics of last year.

Instead, Mertesacker shook off Benteke’s attentions to flick Santi Cazorla’s corner beyond Given shortly after the hour before Giroud compounded a disappointing day for Villa with a clipped finish at the near post from fellow substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross.

There could be no doubt Wenger’s men merited writing themselves into English football history as former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood was denied a piece of silverware to end what has nonetheless been an impressive introduction to life at Villa Park.

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A senior U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official said on Friday he is “fairly confident” there will be another round of indictments in the criminal investigation into alleged corruption within soccer’s governing body, FIFA, the New York Times reported.

Several senior FIFA figures have been indicted in bribery and kickback schemes, although no charges were brought against FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who was re-elected on Friday.

“I’m fairly confident that we will have another round of indictments,” Richard Weber, the chief of the IRS unit in charge of criminal investigations, was quoted as saying by the Times.

The newspaper reported that Weber would not identify the remaining targets of the U.S. investigation or say whether Blatter was among them.

“We strongly believe there are other people and entities involved in criminal acts,” Weber was quoted as saying by the Times.

U.S. authorities said on Wednesday that nine officials and five sports media and promotions executives were charged in cases involving more than $150 million in bribes over a period of 24 years. They said their investigation exposed complex money laundering schemes, millions of dollars in untaxed incomes and tens of millions in offshore accounts held by FIFA officials.

The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment

Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has announced his retirement from professional football.

The 36-year-old has decided to bring an end to his career following a season in which he struggled to hold down a regular place in a QPR side that was relegated from the Premier League.

Ferdinand was absent for the closing stages of the Premier League campaign and his wife, Rebecca Ellison, died after a battle with cancer on May 1.

Ferdinand hailed the “genius” of Sir Alex Ferguson, under whom he won six Premier League titles at Manchester United, as the key factor in his career.

In a statement, he said: “After 18 years as a professional footballer, I now feel it’s the right time for me to retire from the game that I love.

“As a 12-year-old boy, kicking around a football on the Friary Estate in Peckham, I never dreamt that I would play for my boyhood club West Ham, captain Leeds United, win the Champions League with Manchester United, or re-join my
first manager Harry Redknapp at Queens Park Rangers.

“I will always regard the 81 times that I played for England, with immense pride. These are all treasured memories that will last a lifetime.

“Starting a career, every young man needs mentors. I found mine in Dave Goodwin, the district manager at Blackheath, and Tony Carr, the youth team manager at West Ham. They installed in me personality traits that lasted throughout my career. I will always be grateful to them.

“I’d like to thank Chris Ramsey, Harry Redknapp, David O’Leary and David Moyes who managed me at various times in my career, all the backroom staff who looked after me over the years, and the players that I played with. I would also like to thank the team who managed me off the pitch, Jamie Moralee and everybody at New Era.

“Winning trophies over my 13 years at Manchester United allowed me to achieve everything that I desired in football. From a young child to today, that was all I cared about.

“None of that would have been possible, without the genius of one man, Sir Alex Ferguson. His greatest accomplishment in my eyes will always be how he developed us as men, not just as footballers. He will in my opinion, always be the greatest manager in British football history.

“I’d also like to thank and pay tribute to my wife Rebecca and my family, including my mother and father, for their sacrifices, their encouragement and their advice throughout my career.

“And finally, I’d like to thank all the fans from all the clubs – for without them professional football would not exist. I will miss each and every one of you on my Saturday afternoons.”

The former England captain added: “This season I really found out that it was time to hang the boots up and get back in the house and watch other people play the game.”

QPR wished Ferdinand all the best on Twitter saying: “All the best to @rioferdy5 following his retirement from football.”

Gary Neville, who played with Ferdinand for England and the Red Devils many hundreds of times, said: “Congratulations to @rioferdy5 on his great career. Best I played with and best pairings I’ve seen with Vida/JT. Covered me very well too!”

West Ham tweeted: “West Ham United’s thoughts remain with Academy graduate and @englandgreat @rioferdy5 on his retirement #WHUFC”

Ferdinand, who started his career at West Ham in 1995, became the most expensive English player when he joined United from Leeds for £29.1m in 2002 and won 81 caps for his country.

Source Skysports