CARDIFF, Wales (Ticker) -- Arsenal tries to complete the first leg of "the double" on Saturday, when the London club battles crosstown rival Chelsea in the 121st FA Cup final at Millennium Stadium.

Arsenal is attempting to win "the double" of the Premier League and the FA Cup, the two biggest honors in the English game, for the second time in five years. The Gunners, who currently hold a five-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League with just two matches left, blanked Newcastle United in the 1998 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium and edged out Manchester United for the 1998 Premiership crown.

The Highbury club's first double-winning side accomplished the feat during the 1970-71 season.

The Gunners and the Blues will contest the first all-London final since 1982, when Tottenham Hotspur prevailed over Queen's Park Rangers.

Arsenal advanced to its 15th FA Cup final on April 14. Italian defender Gianluca Festa recorded an own-goal as the North Londoners were gifted a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough.

The Gunners are keen to make up for last year's FA Cup final disappointment. After Freddie Ljundberg gave them the lead with 17 minutes left, Michael Owen struck twice in five minutes to lift Liverpool to a 2-1 triumph over Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Chelsea will look to capture the FA Cup for the fourth time in its seventh appearance in the final. Blues defender John Terry scored just before halftime on April 14, when Chelsea conquered West London rival Fulham in the semifinals, 1-0.

Chelsea also is attempting to lift the trophy for the third time in six years. The West Londoners defeated Middlesbrough in the 1997 final and Aston Villa in 2000.

Arsenal and Chelsea will square off in the final of the world's oldest soccer competition for the first time. The Gunners hold a slender 5-4-5 edge in their all-time FA Cup encounters, dating to January 30, 1915. Their last match in the knockout tournament came on February 18, 2001, when Arsenal posted a 3-1 fifth-round victory.

The finalists met twice in the Premier League during the 2001-02 campaign. On September 8 at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal's Thierry Henry scored and Chelsea's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink converted a penalty to work out a 1-1 draw. On December 26, defender Sol Campbell and striker Sylvain Wiltord struck in the second half as Arsenal rallied for a 2-1 home triumph.

Hasselbaink, who has tallied 26 goals in Premiership and FA Cup matches this season, is still trying to recover from a hamstring injury in time for Saturday's kickoff at 3:00 pm BST (10 am EDT).