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Arsenal and Liverpool tipped for success in FA Cup semi-finals

Arsenal and Liverpool are the favourites to reach the FA Cup final next month. Arsenal, who won the trophy last season, play second division Reading on Saturday afternoon at Wembley. Liverpool take on Premier League strugglers Aston Villa on Sunday.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger is seeking a second consecutive FA Cup triumph
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger is seeking a second consecutive FA Cup triumph Reuters
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Back in December Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was contemplating a winter of discontent.

His side was floundering in the Premier League. The pretty passing patterns and silky skills weren't effective against yeoman teams such as Stoke City.

Arsenal's fans jeered Wenger at Stoke train station after their roster of multi-million euro misfits had lost 3-2 at the Britannia Stadium.

Nearly five months later and the same fans may be on the cusp of a glorious summer. They'll be cheering heartily as Arsenal's all stars stride out on Saturday afternoon onto the turf at Wembley Stadium for an FA Cup semi-final against Reading.

Arsenal will be expected to cruise through the game against the second division outfit. The north Londoners are the form team. A surge of eight wins has taken them to second in the Premier League.

They stand seven points behind Chelsea with six games to play.

"Mathematically, the title is still possible," said Wenger. "But we have to win our games and we want to win them. We're trying to do what we can do as well as we can in every single competition. We've done well in the FA Cup and we want to continue to do well."

Wenger's side won the FA Cup last season and he's warned his players against complacency as they take on a team fighting to stay in the second tier of English football.

To reinforce his point, he recalled last season's FA Cup semi-final against second division Wigan.

Arsenal fell behind and only equalised in the 82nd minute before eventually securing victory in a penalty shoot-out.

"We know that a semi-final is always tricky. We have learnt from Wigan last year," Wenger said.

"Reading have many players who have the experience in the Premier League. They have a very efficient style. They go a lot for crosses, so for us they can be a danger going forward."

Wenger at least has the luxury of a squad packed with internationals. "Everybody feels that it is difficult to get in the team, all the players have top, top quality," Wenger added.

While the latter stages of the FA Cup and Wembley are familiar zones for Arsenal, it's terra incognita for Reading. They were last in the semi-finals 88 years ago and have never reached a final.

Reading manager Steve Clarke won the FA Cup when he played for Chelsea.

"You can't go to Wembley and play the occasion," he said. "The supporters can go and enjoy the day, that's their little reward for a cup run.

"For us, it is to go there with a mentality that we are there to do a job and if we do that right we can go through."

The other semi-final on Sunday afternoon pits Liverpool against Aston Villa. Both sides have other agendas as they contemplate their showdown. Aston Villa are six points above the relegation zone with five games to go.

Liverpool aren't involved in that kind of scrap.

They're vying for a place with the European elite in the Uefa Champions League. Liverpool are fifth in the premier League, four points behind Manchester City and both sides have six games to play in the fight for fourth place.

The Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood said on Friday that striker Gabby Agbonlahor might not play due to a hamstring injury suffered in the 1-0 win last weekend at Tottenham Hotspur. Central defender Ciaran Clark is definitely out. He twisted his knee in the same match and is unlikely to play again this season.

Not good news for Villa, especially when the omens point to a Liverpool victory. The Merseysiders have won the last six FA Cup meetings with Aston Villa in a row, without conceding a single goal. Liverpool too have injury worries with striker Daniel Sturridge likely to miss the semi-final due to a hip injury.

Ultimately precedents won't concern the current crop of Anfield stars. Theirs will be a yen for silverware. They'll be also driven by sentiment. Veteran skipper Steven Gerrard is leaving the club for MLS in the United States at the end of the season. The 34-year-old former England captain has been with the Merseysiders man and boy.

He's available for selection after a three match ban.

"Steven has produced big moments in big games," said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers as the team completed its final training sessions for Sunday's game.

An FA Cup medal would be a fitting send-off for the talismanic midfielder.

Two teams bar the way to the fairy tale ending.

   

 

 

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