THIS is becoming a habit, and a nice one for Arsenal, who after being berated for their failure to lift a trophy in nine years, suddenly have two in two years. Not only that, this evening’s demolition of Aston Villa in one of the most one-sided FA Cup finals you will see makes them the old tournament’s most successful club.

Arsenal stand alone with 12 wins now, not an achievement which can be sniffed at by teams with lesser histories.

Their task was made considerably easier by a spineless Villa performance, devoid of the never-say-die energy which the occasion demands. Arsenal have the better players but they have at times been stymied by lower-ranked teams in the Premiership this season. Tim Sherwood’s team – a mess of ugly tackles and not much else – didn’t even come close.

As the first half drew to a close, there was the danger that Arsenal may have been frustrated having not turned their possession and chances into goals. Goalkeeper Shay Given had clawed away Laurent Koscielny’s towering header, while Kieran Richardson’s lunging block had prevented Theo Walcott from beginning the scoring.

But Walcott, preferred to Olivier Giroud in a pacier Gunners attack  strung together with speedy passing combinations, was to justify his selection on 40 minutes. Alexis Sanchez headed the ball back across the penalty box and Walcott crashed in a tight volley. 

Villa had half-time to regroup but came out with the same soulless approach and when they stood of Sanchez 35 yards out, he crashed one of the great cup final goals into the net with a swerving, dipping shot which could the define the old sports report cliche: unstoppable shot. This one really was, unstoppable.

Sherwood sunk into his seat and had his hands on his head in knowing despair when Per Mertesacker was left all alone to head home a corner for 3-0. Villa might have had a penalty on two occasions due to clumsy challenges from first Francis Coquelin, who was otherwise fantastic, and Hector Bellerin, who also impressed when not grappling Jack Grealish to the floor.

The seconds were evaporating anyhow and they were already engraving Arsenal’s name on the cup for the second time in a row, when Olivier Giroud was given the freedom of Wembley to turn in a fourth with the last kick of the game.

Wenger was congratulated by the ladies and gentlemen of the press afterwards, a couple even clapped him out of his post-match press conference. He was asked how many more he could win before he finally retires. The big grin appeared on his face and he mentioned the two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

If he can pull it off again, he will join the club breaking records and become the competition’s most successful managers. “I’ve played in seven cup finals and won six,” he said. “So I can’t complain.”