Opta Big Match Stats: Arsenal and Hull to keep noise down

Michael Lintorn
15 May 2014

Arsenal's defence hasn't been breached by Hull yet this season

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The Opta statistics point to another low-scoring FA Cup Final, with Arsenal shutting out Hull...

"The last seven FA Cup finals have produced just 11 goals."
Best Bet: Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.991/1

Arsenal v Hull, Saturday 17:00, ITV and BT Sport 1, Match Odds: Arsenal 1.51/2, Hull 8.415/2, The Draw 4.67/2

The last seven FA Cup finals have produced just 11 goals
Many reasons are mooted as to why the FA Cup Final has diminished as an attraction in recent years: it isn't on the BBC, it has occasionally been played before the Premier League season has ended and the kick-off time has been meddled with are three of the favourites. Less discussed is the fact that, barring a few exceptions like Liverpool and West Ham's epic 3-3 draw in 2005/06, the matches haven't been very entertaining. Barring the aforementioned 2005/06 showpiece, the last 18 finals all featured three goals or fewer, with 14 delivering under 2.5 goals and ten serving up one goal or less.
Best Bet: Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.991/1

Arsenal have kept clean sheets in each of their last three FA Cup finals
The Gunners' defence is a regular source of mockery, and was at fault for their failure in the last cup final that they started as massive favourites against Birmingham in the League Cup three years ago. However, when the north Londoners aren't being bamboozled by the ruthless elite such as Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea, they are a solid unit. Arsene Wenger's side closed the campaign with four successive clean sheets and kept 17 in total in the Premier League, a figure bettered only by Chelsea. Even more importantly, they didn't allow Hull to score in either of their collisions.
Recommended Bet: Back Arsenal to keep a clean sheet @ 2.0421/20

Lukas Podolski has scored four goals in five FA Cup games for Arsenal
Podolski is the kind of player whose statistics do a far more convincing job of hyping him than any Arsenal fan is likely to. The German forward has fired 28 goals in 52 starts across all competitions since moving to the Emirates in 2012 and four of those came in his last five appearances. The 28-year-old, who is already his country's third-most capped international of all time, also showed that he has the beating of the Hull defence by netting twice against them at the KC Stadium last month.
Recommended Bet: Back Podolski to score @ 2.767/4

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