Alexis Sanchez's 39th-minute strike has given Arsenal a 1-0 half-time lead over Reading in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley this evening.
The holders had previously found the Championship club a worthy foe, but Mesut Ozil and Sanchez provided the Gunners with a moment of quality shortly before the break.
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Adam Federici had to be alert to keep out Per Mertesacker's seventh-minute header at his near post, but the Royals held their own for the remainder of the opening 20 minutes.
Although their only threat on the Arsenal goal was Jordan Obita's well-struck half-volley which was saved by Wojciech Szczesny, they largely stifled an opponent who have won their last eight games in all competitions.
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The Premier League giants began to knock on the door as the half went on as Ozil clipped a free kick narrowly wide of the post and Santi Cazorla released Sanchez to poke wide under pressure from several Reading defenders.
Eventually Arsenal's class showed as Ozil picked out Sanchez with a fine pass which the Chilean collected before cleverly evading a couple of challenges in the box to slot through Federici's legs and put his side en route to the final.
Joe Fish
