The Arsenal boss has stayed true to his word about treating the FA cup semi-final today with all due care and attention, despite the fact that our Wembley opponents Reading are only a Championship club and a mid-table one at that.
So Arsene Wenger has resisted the temptation to make quite a few changes to the Arsenal starting line up that has done so well for us since the turn of the year. The main talking points are Debuchy starting ahead of Bellerin, the inclusion of Szczesny in goal and the replacement of Welbeck for Giroud in the centre forward position.
So the rest of the big names like Ozil, Alexis, Ramsey, Cazorla and Coquelin all start, which will be good news for Gooners dreaming of a second successive year of celebrating the famous trophy. Reading have some pace and threat in their own attacking line up though, so our first choice pairing in central defence will have to be on their toes.
Of the other players coming back from their respective spells on the sidelines through injury, only our England international midfielder Jack Wilshere has made the squad, which once again highlights just how seriously the manager is taking this game. Hopefully his players will do the same.
Szczesny
Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs
Coquelin
Alexis, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil
Welbeck
subs : Ospina, Gabriel, Monreal, Flamini, Wilshere, Walcott, Giroud
Arsenal have no specialist right back on the bench and I hope we don’t regret it and I hope it doesn’t mean that Bellerin has a problem. Let’s make sure that all the action is at the other end of the pitch to our goal and it won’t matter. COYG
can’t complain with this line-up, lets kill em boys!!!
On behalf of the entire Justarsenal family, I hereby approve this team selection with Wenger as the head coach.
I love that Coquelin has been cloned and we’re playing both Coquelin’s
Admin. The writer for this article has put coquelin’s name twice in the line up.
DONT KNOW THE LINE UP
???!
Admin Comment
It was done out of respect and appreciation.
Cazorla! I will change the article lol
Good line up. Expect to see Giroud and Walcott to come on at some point as well. Bring them on around the 75 minute to stretch their tired defence with Theo and give Giroud a chance to grab a goal before Chelsea to keep his confidence high.
Hope welbeck gets a couple of goals
GREAT NEWS:
Cazorla re-baptized this Easter, and now answers the name Coquelin. So we have two Generals or …
What happened to chambers, is he injured ??.A win is definatly in order coyg
I see Le Coq Twice,,,, how’zt soo?
Nice to see WelBeck playing centrally.. He always gets into good position but couldnt score. He will improve next season for sure.
Why not have your top attacker in the lineup? There is a long lay off after today.
Wenger said everyone is available except arteta and Ox, where is Chambers and Bellerin. I saw chambers photo in training pics but not bellerins
Yes it’s odd there isn’t a right back on the bench.
Personally, I would have preferred Giroud up front but I’m sure Welbeck will do well
Only player I’m worried about is Szczesny but hopefully he will do fine.
I am happy with the Lineup. It’s definitely strong enough to Win. Can’t complain about Wenger’s selection. Now it’s in the hands of the players to perform well.
Guys, I saw Barca vs Velancia match. Ottamendi blocked Messi each and every time. He is quick, depends superbly. I dint see him much but in this game he outclassed all Barca defenders. He is MOTM for me.
barca 2-0, messi one goal
Yep.. messi was irritated by Ottamendi. Both are Arjentina btw.
actually they are friends, so special motivation to play each other hard, thanks!
Nerves are a jangling, hope we patient and the defense isnt naibe. Scary to see both debuchy and gibbs come in with the girrafe in the middle. Coquelin is going to have to be on it today!
ozils playmaking skill set is simply incredible, vision-touch-accuracy…
as i said, and that assist, amazing, alexis shot as well
Looking a little wobbly
Bfg stepping up wirhout kos scary with mert on the pitch, would have preferred Gabriel all day long!
I understand all the neutrals want an underdog win, but this BBC commentary is as if Reading are an English team playing away in the CL to Barca or someone.
We need tokgetour rythm going. Coyg!!
Well that’s two head injuries for Arsenal so far where the red hasn’t stopped the game. Appalling refereeing. When someone has a head injury, you stop the game straight away, that’s the rule.
Oh boy
Reading combative and physical us not! 🙁
That assist!! And what a calm finish.
Its coming home
Its coming home
The FA Cup is coming home
Static, slow and sloppy. Wheres the off the ball movement and tempo?
Lol, how can you allow Ozil that much space? 😀
Sanchez d boy, show dem ya hot bredda
as said, ozils playmaking is world class, alexi holding up, picking the spot, going under the legs, fantastic football boyz!!
That goal, we needed it. I want to go to halftime with a lead.
Beautiful and before half time! !!!! 🙂
mert having a quality match, we need to let up on him, he has been back on form of late,
The Ozil-Sanchez connection. Got to love it!
Coquelin has been excellent as usual
Sorry Fred he keeps giving the ball away
hazard score, 1-0
shame really as Chelsea is playing so defensively….
Ozil start the game Well and in good mood,
Sanchez!!! Ozil man u r something else
Ozil and Sanchez talking as they come out if the tunnell. Shit just got real
Everyone seems to be getting caught in possession. Not moving the ball quick enough. If they’re pressing high, play the long ball…
🙁
Woiwack strikes again
Gibb should be on the bench. Mert look better than him
effing szczesny… my daughter could have saved that
Need Walcott.
Gabriel is getting ready. Bloodbath time
Mistaje starting gibbs and debuchy. Sche poor ramsey a passenger. Hope we see a substitution soon, walcott or giroud. We are poor today!
Getting really fed up with the ref STILL ignoring all their fouls. They should’ve had a red card for the foul on Alexis. It was violent conduct off the ball. Yet there wasn’t even a yellow.
F**k the commentator are sh*t. Why reading is reserved to draw.
Ozil no longer traxkibg back and heads gone down. Come on fing show some fight!
We are so bad it’s hard to watch
Gibbs
Ramsey
Schez
All poor
Coq keeps giving the ball away
Debuchy is so rusty
Ozil class
Santi class
Maybe they are right, we can’t perform when we are under pressure to achieve
Debuchy is clearly not ready. Why wenger is bringing him on for a game this important is ridiculous.
This is ludicrous, Debuchys shirt is pulled so he stumbles, he then receives an elbow in the back as he stumbles so he sprawls on the ground, the ball is taken off him and NO FOUL!!!!!! What does it take? An amputation?
Arsenal players think it’s just a mater of turning up we zare playing rubbish
Alexis is knackered, Ramsey is slow, if Welbeck is coming off for Giroud then we have zero pace.
Why Welbeck and not Ramsey ??????
Another blatant foul on Ozil – pulled him back AND studs down the Achilles for good measure – no foul according to the ref – Absolute joke
When they come hard, we should go harder than them. If the commentator don’t like us than we shall win the cup and stuck in their as* mouth
What the F**k is going on???
Shouldn’t change a winning formula, at least not until we played Sunderland at home.
Yes we start to show more determination than them.
loss of words… what are we doing?
Horrendous football by Arsenal
Reading are playing admirably. They are working their socks off.
Our finishing has been off
Ozil gave a great chance to Gabriel but his header was way off
Ozil shot way over the crossbar
Wenger has to seriously consider starting Ospina and Giroud IF we make it to the Final
Think I’m going to turn the commentary off – It’s really annoying, they’ve been fouling us off the pitch – they should be on several yellow cards yet nothing, they are playing with an extra man in the form of the ref
Schez is NOT good enough
How the hell did Rambo miss that?????
Cos he is not WC
omg!!! score damn it!
Szczesny should have caught that and Ramsey should have scored. Damn it.
how is that not a foul on ramsey?
Bellerin needs to come on for Gibbs – think Gibbs and Szczney have cost us the game so far.
Federici has played better than Szczesny
Debuchy is no where near Belerin going forward
All game we’ve not blocked the crosses coming into the box.
F**k Ramsey just clear the chance for them
Seriously just use one of the sub’s as Ospina. If we are going to penalties then Woiwack is useless.
Arsenal are going to lose at this rate. Should have had Ospina in goal. Szczney needs to be offloaded.
So many missed chances! We are giving these guys exactly what they want. We cant take it to penalties
Debuchy, Alexis, and Özil look absolutely run out. We’ve only got one sub. We have to use Walcott. Why? Reading are completely run out too, Walcott’s pace will kill them off. Why Wenger hasn’t used Walcott I don’t know… Who to bring off? Either Özil or Alexis.
walcott is done, period, thats why
Don’t you all think, reading arise defending is worse than the early us but we didn’t take the chances.
Why change up you’re best 11 that has been on a hot streak? Putting you’re number 2 goalie and starting with fullbacks who haven’t played for ages in such an important game is ridiculous.
Cos reading just a championship team
Irrelevant. It’s a semifinal, they earned their spot just like us shouldn’t matter if their a league below us
For the last time Mr. Wenger, Ramsey is not a winger, this team is unbalanced. SMDH
Chance of FA cup most probably gone 🙁
This game is awful to watch.
Gibbs is no where near monreal. Dude has no clue how to defend n when to go forward and attack. He thought he’s playing left wing all the time!
Szczcny. man, martinez would have saved that goal. The back is shaky af with his presence.
This team wont be able to win the final even if we can scrap through reading.
If I’m Welbz I’m livid as Ramsey popped up in my CF channel the entire game. Get theo on and let’s get some width and proper positioning back.
The one chance Welbz gets to play through middle and he’s forced out wide through the run of play in the final 3rd
Please I don’t want to go into penalty.
Plus the damage of playing 120 mins for the game vs Chelsea..
Ref is pathetic to say the least, hope Wenger points this out after the game.
Ramsey on wing never works, this is crap from 2 seasons ago.
Not really good sign.
Reading will win on penalties
Wtf Ramsey can’t you see players on the run
Wenger going gungho, take out coq
szcz is the reason we are still watching this match
I think more on gibbs
hell yehh!,,,,
Haha their goali is worst than us
finally!!!
May be if you weren’t carrying so much weight you would have got that.
Now just park the train
May have been lucky but we deserved some luck ….. finally!
Really p’s me off how the whole of the BBC commentary team are feeling sorry for the Reading keeper’s howler but not Szczesny. Don’t understand why Keown and Wrighty aren’t backing Arsenal unless they’ve been brainwashed by the BBC as well.
You know even with that goal, Federici has still played better overall than Szczesny
Actually our performance has been poor almost everywhere.
Ozil and Alexis have been exceptions.
Come on Alexis. Get the hattrick
Relax guys we will win this one and qualify for the final.. Coyg!!!