English FA Cup
Semifinal
Full Time: Reading 2-1 Arsenal
Date: 18 April 2015
Venue: Wembley Stadium
A brace from Alexis Sanchez sent Arsenal into the final of the FA Cup after beating Reading 2-1 following 120 minutes in the semifinal at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
Sanchez gave Arsenal the lead before Garath McCleary levelled matters for Reading to see regular time end 1-1.
Despite a wonderful afternoon in goal, a mistake by goalkeeper Adam Fedeirici saw him concede a soft goal, the ball rolling through his legs, in extra-time as Reading exited the cup competition.
The Gunners started positively with the first chance on goal coming in the eighth minute when Sanchez saw a shot from the edge of the box well-saved.
Ten minutes later Mesut Ozil almost found the opening goal when his 24-yard free-kick curled inches wide of the Reading post.
Arsenal made their pressure tell in the 39th minute when Sanchez controlled a cross from Ozil inside the box and duly fired home with aplomb, 1-0.
The Gunners took a one nil lead into the break.
Reading started the better of the two sides in the second half and drew level nine minutes after the restart when Garath McCleary rifled a shot at goal which Wojciech Szczesny got a hand to, but not enough to stop it from crossing the line, 1-1.
Arsenal controlled the rest of the second half and should have taken the lead again in the 73rd minute when Gabriel Paulista met an Ozil cross, but under no pressure he head wide with an open goal at his mercy.
Ten minutes later Aaron Ramsey came close to finding the winner when his shot from just inside the box struck the post.
Regular time ended all-square and the match entered extra-time.
Arsenal dictated terms from the onset of the additional 30 minutes and finally found the breakthrough in the dying seconds of the first half of extra-time when a timid shot from Sahnchez scraped underneath the Reading goalie, 2-1.
Reading tried to find their way back into the game, but were unable to do so as Arsenal moved onto the final of the FA Cup.
