The tear-soaked desolation that overcame Arsenal's players upon full-time of their last cup final appearance has become the very visage that has defined their near nine-year trophy drought. Distraught red-shirted bodies were strewn across the Wembley turf, shoulders slumped and heads in hands, as Birmingham City celebrated an unlikely victory.

It felt so typical of the post-Invincibles era Gunners, to throw away a first piece of silverware since Patrick Vieira had buried his spot kick at the Millennium Stadium – and against a side who would go on to be relegated from the Premier League.

But since that forgettable day, Arsene Wenger has made very marked and purposeful changes to the DNA of his squad. In 2011, only three players who took to the field – Tomas Rosicky, Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin – had tasted title glory, though all with former clubs. It was a young side, too, with Rosicky the only player over 30 in a starting XI with an average age of just 24.9.

By now, just seven of the 18-man squad picked to face Alex McLeish's plucky underdogs remain at the north London club. The average age of the team expected to start on Saturday is 27.7 and the squad have been injected with pedigree, experience and title-winning know-how.

The German core to the side has brought a degree of a ruthlessness. When previous Arsenal sides might have wilted against Wigan in this year's semi-final, Per Mertesacker atoned for his earlier error to score the equalising goal. The former Werder Bremen centre-back brings a vocal, authoritative presence that harks back to the likes of Tony Adams and which was absent three years ago, when Johan Djourou started