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Per Mertesacker has revealed how Arsenal needled Diego Costa and beat him at his own game.

Chelsea striker Costa is a notorious wind-up merchant on the pitch and has got opponents into trouble in the past with his expertise in the dark arts.

But it was Arsenal who had the last laugh in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, as Mertesacker admitted he and Rob Holding formed a “double act” to put the Spain international off his game.

Defender Mertesacker said: “We went to work on Diego Costa.

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"Rob was giving him a really hard time. I kept patting him on the back, being friendly, while Rob kept on talking to him. A good double act. It was very exciting to see how quickly things can turn.

“What was really important was that we kept on running with Costa, to make sure those long balls didn’t get to him.

“We were prepared for that. Especially when Fabregas came on, we were ready to run back to cut out those long balls over the top that he plays.

“You have to say it couldn’t have gone much better for us. The team’s performance was incredible. I don’t know how many would have expected that.”

*ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN says Arsenal’s latest FA Cup triumph is the most special.

(Image: The FA via Getty Images)

The Ox said: “It’s been a difficult season and we have come in for criticism so this was massive for us - the most special of the FA Cups we have won.”

Arsenal have beaten Hull and Aston Villa in other recent finals, and Ox went on: “To play Chelsea in the final – that’s when, no disrespect to any other team, it’s like a proper FA Cup final. Arsenal versus Chelsea.”