Arsenal battled well with Manchester City for the Premier League title, but in the end, their quality in depth ultimately told.
Mikel Arteta was left wounded at the failure to secure silverware, but well aware of the progress made in just one year. Despite that, they remain so far away from their rivals.
Manchester United were shown this too at Wembley yesterday, with Pep Guardiola's side winning 2-1 without really getting out of third gear. It marked the second of three trophies they are set to claim this term, with next week's Champions League final the only thing that stands in the way of their infamous treble.
When the pressure has ramped up, whilst some of the Gunners' squad arguably went into hiding, there have been a few key players at the Etihad that have instead stepped up.
Arguably few have done so as dramatically as yesterday's FA Cup final hero; Ilkay Gundogan added another two goals to his phenomenal goalscoring campaign to win them the trophy.
The German has announced himself as one of the best all-around midfielders in the Premier League of late, leading every team to question how they could emulate his success.
Fortunately for Edu, an opportunity to purchase their own version of the 32-year-old has arisen, with reports linking them with a potential €30m (£26m) move for PSV Eindhoven's Xavi Simons.
Could Xavi Simons emulate Ilkay Gundogan?
As a classy yet combative goalscoring maestro, the Netherlands international has all the qualities to emulate City's ageing superstar but at just 20 years old.
Having notched 11 goals and assisted a further seven in all competitions, Gundogan has shown up in key moments with vital strikes of late.
His brace at Goodison Park saw them cruise through a tricky fixture against Everton, just a week after he had done the same to relegation-threatened Leeds United. He even assisted Kevin De Bruyne's strike in their first-leg draw against Real Madrid, to emphasise his creativity before reaching the apex yesterday.
Guardiola noted after that triumph: "The player is exceptional. This season what he has done is just exceptional. Not just being part of the important moments and I don't forget the two goals he scored against Aston Villa [in 2022] and this season many times he’s scored important goals. It’s for the fact how important he is in many, many reasons."
Whilst Simons has enjoyed a far greater year in front of goal, with 22 goals and 12 assists to his name, the youngster has been deployed in a far more advanced midfield role to allow him to shine creatively. However, having recorded 1.4 tackles per game too, he showcases a defensive grit that could allow him to occupy a similar role to Gundogan, just beside a figure like Thomas Partey.
After all, the former Borussia Dortmund gem only manages one tackle per game himself in the league, but his intelligence allows him to add to their unstoppable system at both ends of the pitch.
The youth of Simons would likely attract Arteta too, given how malleable he remains. His former boss Ruud van Nistelrooy could not speak highly enough on his potential, claiming: "He’s doing everything he can to get to the top, his top. And where that will be, that’s the beautiful challenge. His mentality, his mindset, it’s unprecedented."
In acquiring him now, it would allow them to immediately begin his transformation into a player as decisive as this Guardiola favourite, who has played such a key role in the success they have already achieved.
