Reading - Arsenal live updates

CHANCE: The ball falls to Alexis on the edge of the box and his shot takes a deflection out for a corner. Mertesacker gets a good head on it and Federici saves well.

Now Alexis knocked to the floor by Gunter. Reading taking no prisoners so far.

Welbeck gets in behind Hector from Gibbs’ ball but Federici is out quickly and the striker is pressured to poke it wide for a goal kick.

Ramsey goes down on the half way line clutching his face. Looks like he got an unintentional finger in the eye from Obita.

Not everyone happy.

A succession of early throws for the Championship side until Alexis is knocked over by Mackie. All Reading to start with.

Early attack from reading and Obita crosses for McCleary who can’t get on the end of it. Positive early intentions.

KICK-OFF! Referee Martin Atkinson blows the whistle to get us underway here in this first semi-final. There has to be a winner tonight, even if it’s from the penalty spot.

FIVE MINUTES TO KICK-OFF: Each of the last three times Arsenal have faced second tier opposition in the semi-final they’ve gone on to win the trophy (1998, 2003 and 2014).

TEN MINUTES TO KICK-OFF: Arsenal’s last defeat in the FA Cup came against a lower division team (Blackburn Feb 2013) and the only team to avoid defeat in normal play since was also from the Championship (Wigan in 2014 semi final).

Hal Robson-Kanu has scored in three of his last four FA Cup appearances, plus he also netted in his last appearance against Arsenal (30 March 2013 in the Premier League).

Arsene Wenger: "It’s a luxury to have a good run because it doesn’t question one important thing in our job and that is the confidence of the tea. But on the other hand you need to keep the urgency level, the desire and the hunger at a very high level to continue it. If you look in Europe there are only eight teams that have won three games on the trot. We were a bit apprehensive last year in the semi-final and the final and maybe that experience can help us on Saturday. We know in a semi-final it’s always tricky. Last year we went to penalties against Wigan. We have learned from that and I think the urgency level will be quite high in our team (against Reading)."

The last time Arsenal lost an FA Cup semi-final to a team from outside the top flight was in 1973 against Sunderland.