The song Abide With Me, the Wembley arch, a military guard for the trophy, the royal box; there’s an enamoring tradition and pageantry that accompanies the FA Cup final (live on FOX at Noon ET on Saturday for viewers in the United States).

Granted, the tournament has become a bridesmaid to the premier competitions, especially up against the enticing gravitas of potential Premier League and Champions League glory. But for this year’s finalists, Arsenal and Aston Villa, nothing will matter more when taking to the field on Saturday.

For each side, the chance to lift the iconic trophy come Saturday evening is being billed as a chance to add some gloss to respective disappointing campaigns. In the case of the Gunners, the club have fallen short in pursuit of league and European riches once again.

A third place finish in the Premier League represents improvement in terms of fundamental finishing positions, but Arsenal only found their stride in 2015, by which stage Chelsea already had the title sewn up. Some moribund showings in the final weeks of the campaign allowed Manchester City to steal second place from the Gunners too.

As for Villa, their league campaign was one to forget. The club was soporific under the tutelage of Paul Lambert before he was dismissed and although injection of initiative provided by Tim Sherwood helped the club steer clear of relegation, there were some ominous signs for Midlands club as they faltered badly in the final weeks of the season.

Each, it would be fair to say, will be disappointed not to have enjoyed more respective success in the league. Nonetheless, in the case of both sides, this trophy shouldn’t be viewed as a secondary prize or a saving grace.

After all, had Arsenal finished in second place, gotten to the Champions League semi-finals but won nothing this season, how would this campaign have been revered? Had Villa finished comfortably in mid-table or even secured a European place instead of reaching a Wembley final, would their supporters wistfully reminisce in years to come?

Let’s not forget, the Gunners were castigated ahead of this final 12 months ago. Nine years without a trophy for Arsene Wenger simply wasn’t good enough and with enormous pressure to deliver, you could here the knives being sharpened when Arsenal went 2-0 down against Hull City. But to their great credit the Gunners recovered to win the match 3-2 in extra time.

 

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Now, 12 months down the line, the same piece of silverware so many were suggesting it was so vital for Arsenal to win is viewed as a booby prize. And it shouldn’t be.

“I think that will define if we have a good season or not,” said Jack Wilshere, per BBC Sport. “We wanted to get to second this year but unfortunately we couldn’t manage that so now we’re looking to finish the season off with the cup.”

There’s no denying this Gunners squad still has mental fragilities that manifest tangibly on the big occasion. It’s what prevented them from challenging for Premier League glory and what conspired against them in that infamous Champions League tie against Monaco.

But winning and retaining stiffens resolve. It’s why Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, a manager notorious for his winning instincts, targets the much maligned League Cup, to entrench an unshakeably strong mentality in his players.

If this Arsenal team, the core of which triumphed a year ago, can sample back-to-back triumphs, it’s going to be a major positive moving forward. Wenger will have to supplement the squad with some quality additions should Arsenal wish to challenge for the top honors next season, but an enriched outlook ahead of these cornerstone matches will be just as crucial.

On the flipside, the potential connotations of losing this one make this a game Arsenal dare not lose. But for Villa, it’s a chance to give their fans some overdue success. You only need to think back to the pitch invasions after Sherwood’s men beat West Bromwich Albion in the quarter-finals earlier this year; this is a fan base that has been through the ringer recently.

Villa haven’t sampled silverware since 1996, prompting a fade into obscurity over the best part of two decades. They flirted with the prospect of Champions League qualification under Martin O’Neil,  but as of late the Villa Park crowd have been largely looking over their shoulders as a squad stripped of stars such as James Milner, Gareth Barry and Ashley Young has slid treacherously towards the drop zone.

For them, a win would be utopia. In an age in which is becoming so difficult for any club outside the established order to grasp silverware, who knows how long these fans will have to wait to see their players take to the Wembley turf again. Another couple of decades? If football continues to motor forward as it’s doing currently, maybe even longer?

It’s clear there is plenty riding on this for both sides. For players and supporters it’s a chance to make memories; to forget what’s gone before, what maybe in store further down the line and live ephemerally for 90 minutes under the Wembley arch.

Follow Matt on Twitter @MattJFootball