Arsenal will attempt to make it back-to-back FA Cup finals on Saturday afternoon, as they take the short trip down Wembley Way.
The Gunners take on a Reading side who are struggling to pick up a decent run of form in the Championship, as they look towards this weekends tie.
In their last 10 league games, the Royals have managed just two wins and collected a disappointing 12 points from a possible 30.
It hasn’t been easy pickings for Steve Clarke this season, with injuries and failures in the transfer market leaving his side to face a late scramble for points in order to avoid a relegation fight.
Arsenal on the other hand can’t seem to put a foot wrong at the moment, with an impressive 8 consecutive league victories behind Arsene Wenger’s men.
Their most recent game was the 1-0 win over Burnley, which saw Wenger name a side who will most likely be unchanged when they take on Reading at Wembley.
Reading played a 10th placed Blackburn side at the weekend, and failed to make an impact at the Madejski Stadium as they finished up 0-0.
Despite the goalless draw, Reading have managed 44 goals in the league this season, which leaves them with an average goal per game ratio of 1.07. That’s something that Wenger must pick up on, after Arsenal fans have been left biting their nails in one too many games this season.
Those goalscoring stats will look to be improved on by a selection of players, with Simon Cox, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Jamie Mackie all competing for the title of top goalscorer. The strikers currently have 19 goals between them for the season, as Steve Clarke loves to utilise rotation up-top.
When looking at how Reading have coped in this years FA Cup, you would be easily mistaken to think they’ve had an easy run.
The Royals have managed to avoid a single Premier League side in their journey to Wembley, but have had tough games against play-off hopefuls, Derby County, and of course their quarter-final fixture where Bradford took them to a replay.
They currently have eight goals in four games in the FA Cup, and have only conceded two down the other end, so it seems to be a tale of two stories when it comes to this seasons form guide.
Any Gunners fan will know that if you simply rely on the stats and form of another team, then there is never any certainty you’ll get the victory.
Arsene Wenger will be wary of the surprise Reading can hold, and the result at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night could prove to be important for momentum going into this one.
This Arsenal team will be playing in a neutral venue with an even set of fans, and not to mention their performances against lower ranked sides this season. Remember, this is the FA Cup, and we all know that anything can happen as soon as the first whistle is blown.