please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Wembley Stadium Saturday, April 18th 2015 KO Time: 17.20 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Reading: Played: 9 Wins: 9 Draws: 0 Losses: 0 Goals For: 33 Goals Against: 11 Goal Difference: 22 Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 4-1 Reading Reading 2-5 Arsenal Reading 4-4 Arsenal (5-7 aet.) Arsenal 2-0 Reading Reading 1-3 Arsenal Arsenal 2-1 Reading please log in to view this image Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Reading: on the team news… We have a big squad available for selection and we just have Arteta (match fitness) and Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) unavailable. Everybody else should be alright. on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain… He’s at least two weeks away. on Jack Wilshere… He has improved physically and I think he is available for selection on Saturday. on his goalkeepers… It will be Szczesny [who plays] on Saturday. on Szczesny not playing in the FA Cup last season… But he has played in the last round. This season he has played at Man United and he had a very good performance. I believe it’s important that the two goalkeepers get competition and he will get competition in the FA Cup now, as long as Ospina plays in the Premier League. Starting XI + Substitutes: please log in to view this image
I know it's the cup and Wenger tends to use more squad players, but Monreal has to play. This guy has arguably been our best defender since the turn of the year, also even though it's Reading, I do not like the idea of having Bellerin and Gibbs in the same defence, too attacking for me. Monreal balances it out or maybe Wenger will play Gibbs and Debuchy to balance it out.
Debuchy is ready, but I think it's too risky to change both CBs at once, especially for the Semi-Final. I think (hope) Wenger sticks with Monreal and Bellerin.
I hope we win, will give me an opportunity to fly into London for a nice small holiday and to watch us in the final and to catch our last home game of the season.
I can see Gibbs starting, but doubt he'd switch the CB's. Debuchy is 50/50, Wenger might just decide that on the day itself, Bellerin should be able to handle himself against Reading, and what a game it would be for him and Coq, to be involved in Wembley, talk about gaining major experience.
Play our full strength on form players, I want us to take this game very seriously and go for the win. If Debuchy is fit then I'd play him, the more experience we have the better in these kind of games.
I'd also go wih our strongest starting 11 and, as things stand, that doesn't include Gibbs. Nacho has been one of my revelations of the season and I'd definitely start him, likewise Hector on the right as I wouldn't want to gamble Debuchy's fitness in a game of this magnitude.
I agree. This has to be a no nonsense line up. The FA Cup shows us time and time again that being favourites means nothing. If we are comfortably up by 60 mins, we need to rest Sanchez, Giroud and Carzola for the Chelsea game.
I don't think playing Gibbs is such a risk, but I agree we shouldn't mess around in this game. Prob aim to bring Debuchy on for the last 20/30 mins if we're cruising (though I'm not sure Wenger will do that).
I have a feeling Wenger will make a few changes from the Burnley game. Szczesny will come in. Welbeck for Giroud up front. Gibbs for Monreal. And one of Carzola/Ozil may be rested and Rosicky come in.
I'm not sure that is a risk I would take - as good as he is, he cannot be match ready and this is too big a match to gamble. I may be proved wrong though........
Well looks like the only players missing are Oxo and Arteta (strangely), so we could see the unstoppable duo of Wilshire and Diaby in the middle of the park! Of course that would mean Wenger would need to drop his coq to the bench, as the universe wouldn't be able to handle Diaby and Coq on the same pitch at the same time!!! Seriously though I hope Giroud plays, he's in such a good vein of form and all our other attackers revolve around him. He doesn't really need a rest either as he missed almost half the season. I'd bring in Szczesny (who Wenger has confirmed is starting), Gibbs, and Walcott for one of Ozil/Carzorla to give one of them a rest.
Some interesting bullet points from the bbc article on the game: Arsenal will be competing in their 10th semi-final in the last 18 seasons - they have won six of the nine they have competed in under Arsene Wenger. This will be their 28th semi-final appearance (W18, L9), which is a record for an English club, and they are on course for a record 12th title. Arsenal have won eight successive league games, which is their best run since they won nine in a row in the season they went unbeaten in 2003-04. The last time Arsenal lost an FA Cup semi-final to a team from outside the top flight was in 1973 against Sunderland. Arsene Wenger's side have lost just one of their last 38 FA Cup games against a lower league side (W29, D8, L1). The nine goals they've scored in this season's FA Cup have been scored by eight different players - only Olivier Giroud has two.
Arsenal have a 100% winning record from their previous 12 meetings with Reading - three in the FA Cup, three in the League Cup and six in the Premier League. The Gunners have scored 37 goals in those games - an average of more than three per match. Those two are the head to head ones.
Teams are in - Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Ozil, Ramsey, Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck, Coquelin. Reading: Federici, Gunter, Pearce, Pogrebnyak, Robson-Kanu, Obita, Chalobah, McCleary, Mackie, Williams, Hector.
Shame Giroud is on the bench, hope we don't miss him too much - Something really is rotten when Walcott can't even get in the team against a Championship side - I really hope he hasn't played his last game for us, but its looking more and more likely...
