Sanchez and Ozil shine
If there is one criticism that is often levelled at Ozil, it is that he goes missing in the big games. But the German play-maker’s performance against Reading in a thrilling semi-final win, showed just why Arsene Wenger has so much faith in him. Although he doesn’t have the pace that Sanchez or Welbeck have, the German’s ability to simply step back and find pockets of space in the attacking third has been a key part of his improved performances over the past few weeks.
Against Reading, whose high defensive line, created plenty of problems for themselves, it was his ability to pick the right pass, that proved to be the difference. His sublime through ball to Sanchez for the opening goal, was a reminder that he isn’t merely good on the break, but can pick a pass amidst a packed defense as well. The longer the game went on, the more it looked as though his vision was going to prove to be the difference. And although it was just a simple pass and a blunder from Federici that led to the winning goal, it was still two more assists to the German on a day in which his skill-set was put to perfect use.
Reading can take heart from their performance
If beating Arsenal was a tough task on its own, their recent record, which has seen them fail to win in their last five league games, made that even harder. So, it was certainly not surprising to see many go for a comfortable win for the Gunners over a side that was just two places above the drop zone in the Championship. Steve Clarke spoke of needing to play the “perfect” game if they are to reach the final.
Although the Royals started cautiously, they deserve plenty of plaudits for the way in which they took the game to Arsenal once they conceded. While it would have been easier to sit back and merely enjoy the occasion, Clarke’s side were proactive after the break and were rewarded with a goal soon after. Their two main threats going forward, Hal Robson-Kanu and Garath McCleary were both given a license to roam further upfield and that resulted in McCleary’s equalizer. Even though they lost the game and their season has fallen apart in the league, they can take plenty of pride from the way in which they didn’t let the Gunners simply walk away with an easy win.