FA Cup Final: Arsenal v Villa - David Seaman & Andy Townsend's verdict

Former Arsenal and Aston Villa captains David Seaman and Andy Townsend discuss the FA Cup final.

Seaman was a four-time FA Cup winner at Arsenal, captaining the club to glory in 2003, while Townsend was the last man to lead Villa to a trophy when he lifted the League Cup at Wembley in 1996.

Sky Sports caught up with both men to discuss Saturday's FA Cup final between their old clubs and find out what they are expecting to see at Wembley...

Are you looking forward to the FA Cup final?

Andy Townsend: Yeah, I honestly think Villa can win it. They've been an unpredictable team for too long. I'm sure Tim Sherwood would like a bit more consistency to the team so he knows what he's going to get, but you never know what you're going to get from this Villa team. That can be their strength on the day, although the last two results have been a reminder for Villa that there is an awful lot of work still to be done.

David Seaman: I think it's going to be a really entertaining game and hopefully a win for Arsenal. The FA Cup final is about winning or losing and having gone through both, I know which one I prefer. From what I'm hearing, it's going to be a great game because both teams will go out to attack. They don't want to be relying on their defences! Instead, they're probably going to go all-out attack which as a goalkeeper, I hate. I'd be looking for a 1-0 but I'd be happy with a 10-9!

Arsenal have struggled with the favourites tag before though?

DS: If you look at last season and the game against Hull, I couldn't believe what I was seeing in those early stages. After 10 minutes, they were 2-0 down and then they had another one cleared off the line as well. For me, it's majorly important that they start right from the kick off. To not turn up for the first half an hour or so is a strange thing, especially when they're then up for the big teams. Hopefully they've learnt their lesson and if Arsenal play their best game, they'll have too much for Villa.

AT: Of course, as David says, Arsenal are the favourites. They have the best eleven, of that there’s no dispute. But this is the FA Cup where you can make it your day and I believe Villa do have the players that can make their day a very special one. I don't think Arsenal are the best of the top teams when they don't have the ball - that's their weakness. When Villa play fast on the counter with a real intensity to their game, I think they're a real handful so they can win it but they'll have to play very well to do so.

Has Tim Sherwood impressed you?

AT: What's most impressed me about what Tim has done is that whenever a new manager comes into a club that's been suffering as Villa had been, most managers tighten things up. They tried to keep a clean sheet or two and just restore a bit of confidence by grinding out results. Tim has actually been very different in that respect. He's gone on the front foot to get players playing with a bit more confidence and a bit more freedom in certain areas. He's placed his faith in one or two of the younger boys. That's quite a brave thing to do, given the predicament that Villa were in.

How about the Arsenal goalkeeper situation, David? Which one would you be going for?

DS: It looks like it's going to be Szczesny because that's what Arsene does. He did it last season with Lukasz Fabianski, although it was going to be his last game. The only doubt in my mind is what he did with me when we played against Chelsea in 2002. Richard Wright played all the FA Cup ties right up to the final and then Arsene put me in. So there's still that little bit of doubt.

AT: That was tough on Richard Wright...

DS: He wasn't very happy about it but what can you do?! I felt a little bit strange but I thought, 'come on, you're going to play in the FA Cup final so let's just get on with it!' It was a bit awkward but in the end, it was the right thing to do and we got the right result.

AT: David, I don't know what you think of the Villa goalkeeping side of things because Tim has chopped and changed it over recent weeks and that's thrown that up in the air a bit?

DS: Totally. So who would you say is No.1 at the minute?

AT: Well, it seems Brad Guzan has gone down the pecking order a little bit. Shay Given has come in. Whether Tim is just having a look at it to decide what he wants to do in the summer, I don't know. David was always Arsenal's No.1 so whenever someone came in, he know they were only holding the jersey for a game or two. But I imagine it can destabilise you not knowing?

DS: It's the same with Arsenal, what risk does Arsene take. Does he upset Szczesny? Shay has been the No.2 for quite a bit now too hasn't he...

AT: He's been a top keeper but he hasn't played regularly for a few years now and to try to find something that you know was there when you were really at it, is very difficult. He's got a big call to make. Tim Sherwood has to get that right.

There are difficult decisions elsewhere too, with Theo Walcott making a strong case to start...

DS: The most pleasing thing for me about it is that he's back. He's come off the back of a major injury and any footballer who has had that, they'll tell you that it's horrible and there's a lot of doubt in your mind as to whether you'll ever get back to the level you were. For Theo, it'd be great if he did start but the choice of Theo or Olivier Giroud is a great choice to have and whoever plays will be quality.

AT: For me, Arsenal's strongest line-up would be Walcott down one side and Alexis Sanchez down the other, with Giroud up top, if I was plotting a team to do the job against Villa. Listen, Theo showed with his hat-trick last week that he's got that pace and that threat in his game where he can come alive at any given moment. I think when you depend on Theo and you're absolutely looking for him to be the man, I don't think he always produces it. But he's got the tools to make life very uncomfortable.

Jack Grealish will be looking to do that for Villa. Have you seen much of him, Andy?

AT: I have, I've seen Jack and I've spoken to Jack over in Dublin a couple of weeks ago as well. He was there picking up an award for the part he's played in the Under-19s. We had a good chat. He's a nice kid and I like him. He's got a lot of good qualities to his game and there's a genuine self-belief - you've only got to look at the way he wears his socks and his pads to see that! There's an inner confidence even to just go out on the pitch like that.

Can he be a factor at Wembley?

AT: What he's got to do is play smart and influence the game for Villa in that moment when Arsenal lose possession. That's when he's got to come alive and find that little pocket of space because there's no doubt that when he runs at people, he's a handful. He's got a pass and he's got a lot of nice attributes. I can see why Tim is putting a lot of faith in him. As he showed in the semi-final, he's the sort of kid who has got the courage to step up and go for it.

Give us a feel for how much this will mean to those supporters…

AT: It's been too long for Villa. This is a tough game for them. We know that when Arsenal get going, they're a tough team to stop. I just hope that Villa turn up and they produce with intent in their attacking play. I've got my fingers crossed for them at the back because that's what Aston Villa are like, I'm afraid. As much as Villa have ammunition in the forward areas, they've got to be able to withstand pressure.

DS: It's been a great finish in the league for Arsenal. It's been an improvement on last season and to not have to qualify for the Champions League in a play-off is a great bonus. But it'd be ideal if they can go and win a trophy because some Arsenal fans might see it as an anti-climax if they don't win it.

And you'll be spending FA Cup final day with some of them...

AT: We're looking forward to it. It's going to be good fun. We're going to spring a surprise on some of the staff working at The Globe pub. David and I have been very lucky. We've lived like captains in our careers and now we get to give them the chance to do that as we're going to take their shift behind the bar.

DS: I can't wait to see the looks on their faces. I'm good under the crossbar but I'm not sure how good I'll be behind the bar!

Together with Captain Morgan, David Seaman and Andy Townsend took over The Globe for the first shift of the day, where thousands of fans traditionally gather before matches. The Globe's bartenders were given the day off to enjoy the Final - escaping one of the busiest shifts of the year and their everyday jobs, to go and live like the Captain. Arsenal and Villa fans were instead greeted by the Captain's new crew, who took orders from behind the bar, giving their tips ahead of the game, and delivering an unforgettable pre-match build-up. Follow events on Twitter @CaptainMorganEU