A place in the FA Cup final is at stake when Arsenal take on Reading this weekend at Wembley Stadium.
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The Gunners are the form team in English, even European, football with 16 wins in their last 18 games and are currently on an eight match winning streak in the Premier League.
Reading meanwhile have failed to win in the Championship since they actually booked their place in this semi-final and have taken a mere three points from their last six games as they look to avoid relegation to League One.
Whilst the north London side are clearly favourites, they will be wary of what a fight they could have on their hands if they underestimate the Championship side – they need only look at their battling semi-final with Wigan last year.
Here’s the side we think Arsene Wenger will pick to try and avoid a difficult afternoon in Wembley:
GK: Wojciech Szczesny
David Ospina pretty much has the starting role in the league nailed down after Szczesny’s ill-advised cigarette in January which has cost him so dear.
Whilst Arsene Wenger outcast him for several games, he’s relented to allow Szczesny to be this season’s de facto FA Cup keeper.
But it remains clear the Pole’s form in these games may have serious repercussions o his entire Arsenal future.
RB: Hector Bellerin
Bellerin posted a snap on Twitter yesterday showing just where he was the last time Arsenal graced Wembley for this season’s Community shield, the Spaniard was sat in the crowd taking a selfie with the team celebrating in the background.
How much can change in a year. Given Reading’s penchant for a cross from the wings, Arsene Wenger could be tempted to start with the more muscular and defensively adept Calum Chambers but this could be just the game for Bellerin’s pace and tricky down the right to catch the Royals on the break when they foray just a little too high in the Arsenal half.
CB: Per Mertesacker
Was very comfortable mopping up against Burnley last week and put himself about to dominate the aerial duels. Against a physically robust Reading side who like to pump balls into the box, Mertesacker will have to be at his best.
CB: Laurent Koscielny
It will likely be up to Kosicelny to try and handle Pavel Pogrebnyak and the Frenchman will want to be doing a lot better than when he faced the Russian at the Madjeski Stadium in 2012, with the Gunners conceding a quite incredible four-goals before half time until eventually turning it around with the help of extra time to win 7-5.
LB: Nacho Monreal
Monreal seems to have firmly moved ahead of Kieran Gibbs in the pecking order now after a quite stunning few weeks and months – it’s a start the Spaniard will relish after missing out on a place in the Arsenal XI for last season’s FA Cup Final at Wembley to his direct competition.
CM: Francis Coquelin
The phoenix-like revival of Coquelin’s career has to be one of the surprises of the season but his loan spell at Charlton earlier this season could help the Gunners in their quest for a second straight FA Cup final. The Frenchman believes his ‘inside knowledge’ of the Championship will see the Gunners certainly progress.
CM: Aaron Ramsey
Has been deployed on the right wing for Arsenal recent outings to great effect – a 4-1 win over Liverpool and 1-0 over Burnely. However, given the absolute exhaustion Santi Cazorla showed against the Clarets, expect the Welshman to return to more familiar territory in central midfield on Saturday.
RW: Danny Welbeck
With the right-wing spot now vacated by Ramsey, Welbeck is the obvious choice to replace him with Arsene Wenger still seemingly refusing to give Theo Walcott any game time.
CAM: Mesut Ozil
Ozil believes his current run since the turn of the year is his best ever form at Arsenal and it’s hard to disagree given his conductor like role in the side, with every successful attacking move being directed by the German, Ozil the puppet-master during Arsenal’s recent revival.
LW: Alexis Sanchez
Finally returned to the score-sheet against Liverpool with a sumptuous strike and looked dangerous against Burnley last week.
Sanchez finally looks back to his best after a rough spell following a breathless start to his Arsenal career, he will likely enjoy playing Reading and can easily exploit the space left by their marauding wingers and full-backs.
CF: Olivier Giroud
Since THAT performance against AS Monaco in the Champions League the Frenchman has six goals in six games and has highlight just how much he has developed as a striker during his tenure at Arsenal.