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Reading 2-5 Arsenal
Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog. Here are the teams:
Reading: Federici, Cummings, Gorkss, Mariappa, Shorey, McAnuff, Leigertwood, Tabb, Kebe, Hunt, Pogrebnyak. Subs: Taylor, Gunter, Pearce, Le Fondre, McCleary, Robson-Kanu, Harte.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Podolski. Subs: Mannone, Koscielny, Rosicky, Giroud, Ramsey, Coquelin, Gervinho.
And we’re underway…
Good start from Arsenal, as Oxlade-Chamberlain’s powerful shot from the edge of the box forces Federici to parry the ball away.
Arsene Wenger’s men clearly want to make up for that dire League Cup loss last week.
Great run through from Pogrebnyak, who consummately glides past Cazorla, but his cross finds a player who is adjudged to be offside.
Arsenal still have had most of the play so far, with Reading adopting a counter-attacking strategy.
A dangerous corner is played in and Noel Hunt eludes Arsenal’s zonal marking system, heading narrowly over.
It’s looking as if Reading’s best chance to score tonight might be from a set piece.
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
Gibbs plays an inch-perfect cross in to an unmarked Podolski (14 mins).
The German controls the ball and hammers it home with great composure.
The London club have got the goal that their improved performance has deserved.
An ambitious effort from Cazorla goes just wide from about 30 yards out.
Arsenal are currently playing with a palpable level of confidence, and look well in control at the moment.
Walcott breaks the Reading offside trap to sprint through on goal, but his finish is disappointingly straight at the keeper.
Reading are in danger of letting this game run away from them.
A loose ball falls to Wilshere on the edge of the box, and his strike on the half-volley forces Federici into making an acrobatic save.
Down the other hand, Vermaelen does well to intercept Pogrebnyak’s cross, which had been heading in the direction of the unmarked Hunt.
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
Santi Cazorla scores twice inside three minutes. First a deflected cross from Podolski finds the onrushing Spanish player, and his diving header gives the goalkeeper no chance (31 mins).
Shortly thereafter, he controls the ball well, and hooks it home from about 12 yards out (34 mins).
Vintage interplay from Arsenal just inside the box, with Cazorla setting up Podolski, whose shot is well blocked.
Shorly thereafter, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s header from a Sagna cross is acrobatically saved by Federici.
Reading are all over the place, and have been outclassed tonight.
Arsenal fans, meanwhile, must be wondering why they can’t play like this every week.
HALF-TIME: READING 0-3 ARSENAL
So at half-time, this game is already effectively over.
Arsenal have looked like their old selves tonight, consistently passing the ball around in a confident, accomplished and effective fashion.
The London side have dominated the midfield area and controlled the game, with Reading chasing shadows for much of the first 45.
Cazorla has chipped in with two goals, and looks back to his best tonight, albeit against highly inept opposition.
The hosts are consequently out of this game, unless Arsenal’s notoriously dodgy defence comes a cropper once more.
Here are Cazorla’s two goals tonight.
YouTube credit: FootballAllVideo
YouTube credit: TvSportAndOther
The second half has begun…
It’s been a fairly uneventful opening to this second half.
However, as I type, a Walcott shot is cleared off the line, after having been played through on goal for the umpteenth time tonight.
More sexy football from Arsenal, with Cazorla again at the heart of it.
He eventually plays it to Walcott, who strikes it just wide.
With just over half an hour left, Cazorla already appears to have the Man of the Match award wrapped up.
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
Just as I had published my last entry on Cazorla, he finishes off a sublime passing move, tapping home from a Podolski cross (60 mins).
So it’s now 4-0 – a fair reflection of the game, given Arsenal’s constant dominance of the play.
GOAL FOR READING!
Poor ball from Gibbs concedes possession in a dangerous position, and Jay Tabb plays through Le Fondre, who rounds the goalkeeper and slots it into the empty net (64 mins).
Arsenal have shot themselves in the foot again, as they are prone to doing, though it looks like it won’t influence the outcome of the game unduly this time around.
GOAL FOR READING!
Robson-Kany plays through Kebe, who produces a neat finish to give Reading a tiny bit of hope (70 mins).
Arsene Wenger must be livid, as Arsenal’s familiar flaws become apparent again.
Ramsey replaces Oxlade-Chamberlain with just over 15 minutes to go, as Arsenal look to acquire a bit more solidity.
The confidence and swagger has disappeared from Arsenal’s game all of a sudden.
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
More wonderful play from Cazorla, whose well-timed pass finds Walcott, and the England international finishes superbly into the corner to give Arsenal a three-goal lead (80 mins).
Shortly thereafter, Cazorla is substituted to the sounds of well-deserved applause.
Here are a few more of the goals from tonight:
YouTube credit: FcReal Madrid
YouTube credit: OzzyRonaldo17
YouTube credit: FootyRoom2012HD
Another chance as McAnuff goes through on goal, but Vermaelen makes a last-ditch tackle to stop him.
In many ways, this performance has typified Arsenal’s season thus far – beautiful to watch at times, but unconvincing in parts.
FULL-TIME: READING 2-5 ARSENAL
So Arsenal outclass Reading to go fifth, two points behind Tottenham in fourth.
It was a vintage performance on the attacking side of things from Arsene Wenger’s men, in a game that was marked by some comedy defending from both sides.
Reading, on the basis of that performance, look like prime candidates for relegation.
Arsenal, meanwhile, if they can play like that all season and learn to defend properly, should be prime candidates for a Champions League spot once again.
Jack Wilshere says they haven’t been paying attention to their critics and cheekily expresses hope that Walcott (who’s standing beside him) will sign a new contract.
He adds that they showed signs of “the old Arsenal” tonight.
Here are the goals you haven’t already seen tonight:
YoutTube credit: FootyRoom2012HD
YouTube credit: FootyRoom2012HD
Right, that’s it from me. Thanks for reading and commenting, and good night.
