Team news | Hull City fans at WembleyCurtis Davies v Olivier Giroud Throughout the 2013/14 campaign, Curtis Davies has proven that he can compete against the very best strikers the Premier League has to offer. Olivier Giroud certainly falls into that category and the City captain can expect to be kept on his toes by the Frenchman. Giroud isn't the quickest of forward men, but what he lacks in pace he makes up for in movement, creativity and guile in and around the penalty area. Giroud fits Arsene Wenger's philosophy of play perfectly: he is comfortable with the ball at his feet and isn't scared to take risks. Such is his tendency to roam from his position, Davies may find himself marking nobody at times during the game at Wembley. Concentration will be key for the City skipper and he will likely spend long periods of the game with the ball in front of him. Arsenal will be expected to monopolise possession from the outset but this may not necessarily be a bad thing from a City point of view. City's strong defence is arguably what has kept them in the division this season and Davies has been right at the heart of that. He finished the league campaign having made an impressive 327 clearances. Against an Arsenal attack that on its day can be almost impossible to live with, he'll probably find himself making a few more.Tom Huddlestone v Mesut Ozil At £42m, Mesut Ozil will likely cost more than the entire City starting 11. Whether or not any one player can be worth such an amount of money, there is no doubting that, when on form, Ozil is one of the best on the planet. He slotted into the Arsenal side seamlessly at the start of the season and although his performances have dipped in recent months, there can be no denying his qualities. He appears to glide across the field of play and his ability to pick a pass is unrivalled. He has shown in both games against City what a class act he is and the Tigers will be hoping it is third time unlucky from his point of view. Ozil added the second goal in Arsenal's 2-0 win over City at the Emirates back in December, before starring in the Gunners' 3-0 success at the KC just last month. For all of Ozil's skills, though, the one drawback to his game is the work (or lack of) that he puts in defensively. He was pilloried for his role in the defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier in the season and that will be an area City can look to exploit. That said, it is likely that the German will play centrally, meaning that City's Tom Huddlestone will be his direct opponent. Huddlestone showed in the semi-final what he can do if given the freedom to control a game. Arsenal, though, are no Sheffield United and the former Tottenham man will surely find it harder to bring his influence to bear. Steve Bruce may require him to do a job on Ozil before he can look to take control from an attacking point of view, and Huddlestone is not one to shirk such responsibility. All season long, Jake Livermore and David Meyler have been the two players who have done the unfashionable stuff. Their off-the-ball running and breaking up of play has often been key in providing Huddlestone with the platform to find his passing range. The pair will play another important role on Saturday in ensuring that City give as little away in the middle third as possible.Matty Fryatt v Per Mertesacker Steve Bruce will, by now, probably know more than half of his starting XI for the cup final. We know that Matty Fryatt will definitely get the nod up front and it is thoroughly deserved, too. His tally of four goals in the competition so far proves that he has played as big a part as anyone in helping City reach this stage. His direct opponent will be the giant German centre back, Per Mertesacker. Mertesacker has become a bit of a fans' favourite at Arsenal and it's easy to see why. He has provided a calm head in what has been an erratic defence over the years and his partnership with Laurent Koscielny has been one of the main reasons the Gunners kept an impressive 17 Premier League clean sheets. He has also scored in his last two games at Wembley. He grabbed a late equaliser against Wigan Athletic in the semi-final and popped up with the winner when Germany defeated England 1-0 back in November. It will be a tough afternoon for Fryatt but he can take some solace in the one major drawback of Mertesacker's game: his lack of pace. Such is his knack of being in the right place at the right time, it is a rarity that he does get caught out. But when he does, his slowness is painfully obvious. While Fryatt himself may not be the quickest, his partner up front may fancy himself against Mertesacker. Yannick Sagbo and Sone Aluko can both beat a man for pace. Neither is guaranteed to start, but could provide good options from the bench. There is no doubting that, player for player, Arsenal are significantly stronger than City. But the Tigers have shown this season that, on their day, they can compete with the best sides in the division. It will be a tough ask, but if City can put in the performance of a season and rattle Arsenal, a maiden FA Cup success isn't beyond the realms of possibility.
