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Mesut Özil masterclass sends Arsenal to the FA Cup final

It took Arsenal an extra-time goal to seal the win, for what looked like a complete mismatch on paper. A spirited Reading fought hard but a howler from goalkeeper Adam Federici resulted in a disappointing day for the Royals. Arsenal looked a bit lackluster but having players like Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez, they were always a threat going forward. Mesut Özil alone created nine chances, which is the highest ever by a player in a single FA Cup game. He was the orchestrator of almost every successful attack by Arsenal.

Arsenal came into this game with some regular first team players on bench. It was a great opportunity for the likes of Szczesny, Welbeck, Gibbs and Debuchy to get some game-time. Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain missed out due to an injury while Jack Wilshere made it to the bench.

Reading started the game with great confidence and no fear. However, it took Arsenal just about 7 minutes to force the first save from goalkeeper Federici as Per Mertesacker’s header was on target. It was followed by another corner which was very well taken by Mesut Özil but yielded no result. For Reading, Mackie was on target to force Szczesny to make his first save in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Arsenal did not look as sharp as they usually do. Fullback Kieran Gibbs was not looking sharp enough, as he kept giving the ball away. Reading continued to remain strong in defense, with an occasional threat going forward. Arsenal had another chance in the 26th minute as Santi Cazorla found Alexis Sanchez with a sublime pass but the Chilean was stopped in his tracks by the goalkeeper. It looked like a foul on Alexis Sanchez and possibly a booking but neither the referee, nor the linesman could spot it.

Mesut Özil was the biggest threat throughout the first half. In the 39th minute, he created another chance for Sanchez with a beautiful pass and this time the Chilean scored and gave Arsenal the lead.

Reading had one chance before the end of first half when Williams tried to test Wojciech Szczesny, but the goalkeeper was able to clear it without any trouble. Reading seemed to lose their concentration towards the end of first half, after they conceded their first goal. Right before half-time, Chalobah got booked for a foul on Kieran Gibbs, which would be the first booking of the match.

Both teams came out into the second half without any changes at half-time and Arsenal started where they left the first half, lacking sharpness. Reading took advantage of that in the 54th minute as McCleary scored the equalizer. The shot was deflected by Kieran Gibbs and Szczesny just did not have enough time to react. He could have done better but it is fair to say that Reading deserved the equalizer. Being level after an hour into the game was not something that anybody could have predicted but Reading showed great character and kept pushing till they got themselves back into the game.

Arsenal were forced to make their first substitution in the 63rd minute as Per Mertesacker seemed to have hurt himself and was replaced by Gabriel. Arsenal kept creating chances in the second half and got really close when a free-kick from Mesut Özil was curled in and the header by Gabriel was brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper. Özil created another chance from another free-kick minutes later and found Gabriel again but this time the Brazilian centre-back headed wide from a close range.

Arsenal made their second change with Olivier Giroud replacing Danny Welbeck. Giroud had a good impact on the game as he was able to hold the ball well. Arsenal kept pushing forward and almost scored when Ramsey’s shot came off the post in the 84th minute. Reading made a change as Jem Karacan replaced Robson-Kanu, who did not have a very good game. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra-time was needed to find the winner.

Reading starting to look tired as the game progressed in extra-time. It seemed as though they were pushing the game towards penalties, which would have seemed to be the ‘easy way’ to win for some of those tired legs. Arsenal, however, were pushing for a winner and their third substitution reflected that intention very well as Theo Walcott replaced Francis Coquelin. It was just towards the end of the first half of extra-time that shook the Royals as Özil’s pass found Sanchez, who took a shot and the goalkeeper made a complete mess of it, resulting in the second Arsenal goal. It was a moment that will be hard to forget for Federici and the Reading fans but overall it was a performance that they could be proud of. Playing Arsenal was never easy and taking the game to extra-time is an achievement in itself.

Arsenal controlled the game to finish it off by passing the ball around and it was too late for Reading to find another equalizer. The game finished 2-1 after extra-time, taking Arsenal through to the FA Cup final.

Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger congratulated Reading for their brave effort:

“Reading really wanted it and were ready to die on the pitch to go to the final. You have to congratulate them for the effort they put in today.”

Arsenal will play the FA Cup final in May against the winner of the second semi-final between Liverpool and Aston Villa, which will be played tomorrow

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