Arsenal won a record 12th FA Cup with a performance of such vibrant and effervescence that Aston Villa simply could not live with them on a remarkable day at Wembley.
Drama is almost stitched into the very fabric of this competition, but the Gunners were simply too good, too dominant to allow any element of doubt to creep in here.
This was ‘Wengerball’ distilled - slick, incisive passing, exceptional off the ball movement and a couple of goals so good they should almost have come with an X-rated warning.
Some 379 days after that unforgettable, nerve-shredding final against Hull City, this could not have been more different.
Arsène Wenger’s side - resplendent in yellow - were in total control from the off. So edgy on their recent visits to the national stadium, this time they were the picture of calm.
The first half was a blur of yellow movement, with Laurent Koscielny, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott all going close, but they finally broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval.
Walcott was the hero, latching on to a cushioned Alexis header to slam the ball in at the near post before spinning away to celebrate with the ecstatic Arsenal fans.
Better was to come after the break, with Alexis scoring the sort of 25-yard screamer that would surely have had Charlie George - the hero of 1971 - nodding in appreciation.
Per Mertesacker headed in a third from a corner as the Gunners continued their assault and Olivier Giroud added a fourth in injury time to add even more gloss to the scoreline.
The final whistle brought scenes of unconfined joy as Wenger joined George Ramsay on six FA Cup wins, while the Gunners’ emphatic victory put them out on their own on with a record 12 triumphs.
Arsenal are England’s cup kings - and what a performance they delivered to do
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