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Wigan 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal win 4-2 on penalties
Hello, and welcome to our liveblog of this weekend’s first FA Cup semi-final.
The teams can be seen below:
ARSENAL: Fabianski, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Monreal, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski, Sanogo. Subs: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Gibbs, Kallstrom, Akpom, Eisfeld, Giroud.
WIGAN: Carson, Perch, Boyce, Ramis, Crainey, McArthur, McEachran, McManaman, Beausejour, Gomez, Fortune. Subs: Al Habsi, Barnett, Caldwell, Maloney, Espinoza, Collison, Powell.
James McClean doesn’t even make the bench for Wigan. No word yet on whether or not he’s picked up an injury.
There have been a number of Hillsborough tributes today, and Wembley is no exception.
96 seats that are being left empty as a tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans that lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster.
In case your memory needs refreshing, here is the last time Arsenal won a trophy — almost nine years ago.
Tottenham have scored a dramatic late equaliser against West Brom.
Check out the latest in all today’s Premier League games here.
We’re underway…
First chance already to Arsenal!
Oxlade-Chamberlain runs through on goal but his touch is too heavy, and the ball falls into a grateful Carson’s arms.
An unimpressed-looking Bacary Sagna snubbed Gunnersaurus’ offer of a high five as the teams were going out earlier.
Wigan are under the cosh at the moment.
The young Gunners striker Yaya Sanogo has just had a header well saved by Scott Carson.
Not for the first time, Oxlade-Chamberlain charges through on goal.
However, Carson, who’s started well, gets to the ball just ahead of him.
This is not dissimilar to Wigan’s previous game in the cup with Man City.
Arsenal are dominating possession, but they have yet to carve out a clear-cut chance.
McManaman takes it past Arteta at the by-line, but frustratingly for him, the ball drifts out of play as he tries to control it.
There’s been one or two brief glimpses of Wigan’s attacking threat in recent minutes.
Players from both teams during a minute’s remembrance as part of the events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster prior to kick-off.
Sagna has just missed arguably Arsenal’s best chance yet.
The ball falls to him after a corner is played in, but he hits the half volley from close range wide from a difficult angle.
It’s another warning sign for Wigan.
McManaman beats Vermaelen but his dangerous cross is well cut out by the Arsenal defender.
The young winger looks like Wigan’s best attacking outlet currently.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been Arsenal’s best player so far and again, he’s causing Wigan problems on the edge of the box.
As he prepares to shoot, the Wigan defence close him down for the umpteenth time, and Sanogo scuffs the follow-up shot horribly wide.
Again, McManaman evades his marker, and his cross-cum-shot shaves the cross bar.
As I type, Fortune is played through, but his attempt is straight at the goalkeeper.
Wigan have been far more ambitious in their attack play of late.
Podolski curls a free kick on the edge of the box just wide.
It’s been a good game so far, with five minutes until half-time.
A mistake in the Wigan defence allows Arsenal to break and Sanogo goes through on goal.
However, Carson does well again, quickly sprinting off his line to make the save after the striker’s heavy touch causes him to lose control of the ball slightly.
HALF-TIME: ARSENAL 0-0 WIGAN
On ITV, Roy Keane is at his scathing his best today. He says: “Arsenal don’t seem to turn up for the big games.”
He also describes how Arteta “drives me crazy,” due to his tendency to pass the ball backwards and sideways quite often.
The second half has begun…
It’s been a similarly frustrating second half for Arsenal so far, with few openings to speak of.
Arsene Wenger is looking increasingly agitated on the touchline.
Halfhearted claims for a penalty as McArthur goes down rather easily in the box.
Wigan are beginning to exert a bit of pressure on their opponents now.
Arsenal just can’t find a way through Wigan’s impressively organised defence.
The Gunners are beginning to attack with a bit more conviction now though.
PENALTY TO WIGAN!
McManaman is fouled in box after he touches the ball ahead of Mertesacker, before the German commits a rash challenge.
GOAL FOR WIGAN!
Wigan 1-0 Arsenal: After a long wait with Arsenal having to take Monreal off, Jordi Gomez coolly slots the penalty into the corner (62 mins).
The upset is on the cards!
Here’s a look at the goal.
Callum McManaman, who has been excellent for Wigan, is being replaced by Nick Powell.
Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud has come on for Lukas Podolski, and the Arsenal fans express their dissatisfaction with that decision.
Here’s a pic of that penalty incident.
The backlash has begun…
15 minutes for Arsenal to avoid another embarrassing defeat.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has tested Carson with a stinging drive, but apart from that, they haven’t really looked like scoring.
Sanogo has just hit the post with a header as the pressure on the Wigan goal begins to intensify.
Shotly thereafter, Gibbs’ header is cleared off the line.
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
Arsenal 1-1 Wigan: Oxlade Chamberlain mishits his shot, but it falls into the path of Mertesacker, who heads in from close range (81 mins).
The German has certainly atoned for his earlier error in giving away Wigan’s penalty.
As Andy Townsend points out, Wigan have lost something in attack since McManaman’s departure.
Perhaps Uwe Rosler is regretting that decision now.
Here’s a look at Arsenal’s equaliser.
We’re into stoppage time now, with five minutes to be played.
Sagna has just played in an inviting cross that Giroud and Sanogo both fail to get on the end of.
FULL-TIME: WIGAN 1-1 ARSENAL
30 MINUTES OF EXTRA TIME TO BE PLAYED!
Extra time has begun…
Uwe Rosler has been rather animated on the touchline.
Sanogo narrowly fails to get on the end of an inswinging cross.
It hasn’t been the big striker’s day.
Sanogo again goes close. Carson, however, does well once again to turn the striker’s powerful snapshot over the bar.
It’s been all Arsenal since the beginning of extra time.
The ball falls to James Perch but he hits it well off target.
Both sides look tired now, and the tempo has decreased noticeably of late.
HALF-TIME: WIGAN 1-1 ARSENAL
At the moment, this game looks destined for penalties.
Both teams lack energy and have adopted a fairly cautious approach in recent minutes.
As I type, the second half begins.
Fabianski has a rush of blood to the head, unnecessarily coming off his line, but Nick Powell eventually overruns the ball.
Down the other end, Oxlade-Chamberlain hits the bar from distance with a thundering strike.
This game has come to life again all of a sudden.
Perch produces a good cross into the box, but Powell’s header goes narrowly wide.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have made another substitution, with Kim Kallstrom replacing Aaron Ramsey.
Five minutes before penalties, and it’s basically next goal wins now.
As I type, Powell makes a good run forward, but his subsequent shot goes narrowly wide.
One minute of stoppage time to be played.
It’s last chance saloon before penalties…
FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 1-1 WIGAN
PENALTIES IT IS!
Arsenal will wonder how they’ve let it get this far.
Nevertheless, they’ve been more than matched by a determined and superbly organised Wigan team today.
An Arsenal fan watches on nervously…
GARY CALDWELL PENALTY SAVED BY FABIANSKI!
ARTETA SCORES ARSENAL PENALTY! 1-0 ARSENAL.
COLLISON MISSES SECOND WIGAN PENALTY!
KALLSTROM SCORES. 2-0 TO ARSENAL!
BEAUSEJOUR SCORES! 2-1 ARSENAL NOW!
GIROUD SCORES! 3-1 ARSENAL!
JAMES MCARTHUR SCORES! 3-2 ARSENAL!
SANTI CAZORLA SCORES! ARSENAL WIN THE GAME 4-2 ON PENALTIES!
So that’s all from me. Thanks for reading and commenting — we’ll have more reaction to follow.
