I don't really know what words to use to describe this match. 'Mental' seems to be the most common word floating around and it's pretty apt. With just 37 minutes gone in the match, Arsenal were all over the place and we found ourselves 4-0 down. I was getting ready to write an angry blog post at that point about the lack of effort from the team as a whole. We were truly terrible at that point.
It took Reading 11 minutes to open the scoring with Robson-Kanu picking out Jason Roberts (who we made look like a world beater in that first half) unmarked in the box. It was soon 2-0 just 6 minutes later as Chris Gunter's cross came off Koscielny and beat Martinez at the near post. Martinez himself was at fault for the 3rd goal as he couldn't get a strong enough hand to Leigertwood's shot which looped into the net after hitting the goalkeepers hand. Martinez couldn't have done anything about the 4th as Hunt headed in well from Garath McCleary's cross. So at 4-0 it was looking bleak but Arsenal were given a glimmer of hope as Theo Walcott raced through the middle and scored with a great finish to really stake his claim to play as a centre forward.
After a bright first five minutes by Reading in the second half, Arsenal finally took control of the match. 62 minutes in Wenger made changes with Giroud and Eisfeld coming on for Frimpong and Gnabry. Giroud made it 4-2 with a superb header from a Theo Walcott corner and Koscielny also got on the end of a Theo Walcott corner to make it 4-3 with just stoppage time remaining. Reading tried to run down the clock, making a last minute substitution and their fans not giving the ball back quickly for throw ins. This meant that out of the 4 minutes added on ended up nearly playing 6 minutes and that was enough for Arsenal to equalise. It was Theo Walcott again who officially was given the goal. His shot was cleared off the line before Jenkinson fired home but replays showed that Theo's shot had already crossed the line.
So FT 4-4 and extra time loomed in this extraordinary game. Could their be more twists? You bet there was. Chamakh scored with a low drive from outside the box to make it 5-4 in the first half of extra time. In the second half of extra time Reading scored again with Pogrebnyak heading home from close range. Reading once again thought they may have done enough but Arsenal never gave up and scored twice in the dying minutes of extra time. First was Theo Walcott again, completing his hattrick in easily one of his best matches for the club. With Reading pushing again the ball was cleared long from Arsenal with only one Reading defender back who completely missed the ball allowing Chamakh to run in and lob the onrushing Federici in the Reading goal to complete the scoring.
Now that I have my breath back after that extraordinary match I have to give huge credit to the team. They looked terrible in the first half and could easily have rolled over and given up entirely but they never stopped. The goal before half time might have been very important as it gave just enough hope for the players to go and turn it around. I hope this match will give everyone at the club a huge confidence boost going into the game at Old Trafford on Saturday. I know a lot of the players wont be involved on Saturday but I really think Theo Walcott will be there on the bench and Giroud is likely to start. They were both awesome in this match and can take that into the game on Saturday. Both players must be exhausted but I'm sure they will recover.
It's great to be on the right side of an epic comeback for once. There's certainly not a lot of dull games when you're an Arsenal fan. Ooo to be a Gooner.
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