THE FA CUP SEMI-FINALS.

WEMBLEY AWAITS THE RETURN OF THE ARSENAL AND ASTON VILLA.

Wembley will be awaiting the return of the Gunners and the Villans as they both got past their semi-final opponents to register their names on the 2015 final yearbook.


READING 1 - 2 ARSENAL (AET)

Arsenal avoided an upset against championship side Reading to advance to their second FA cup final in the space of a year.

Goalkeeper Adam Federici surrendered the mildest of extra time goals as Arsenal evaded a semi-final surprise in a 2-1 triumph over Reading at Wembley.

Arsene Wenger's men, who dispatched Wigan Athletic on penalties at this stage a year ago, struggled to discover their force that has seen them set out on an eight-match winning run.
Alexis Sanchez put the holders in front six minutes prior to the break with a cool finish, the process assisted by Mesut Ozil.

However the Arsenal were stunned and the fans dazed into silence following 54 minutes when Wojciech Szczesny bundled a Garath McCleary volley into the net.

Arsenal hit the woodwork twice as they looked to evade extra time - once through an eminent recovery from Federici - yet the Australia international will have needed the ground to gulp down on him when he permitted another Sanchez shot to squirm underneath him toward the end of the first half of extra time, killing Readings chances of a first final.

The outcome sees Arsenal turn into the through and through record holders for most appearances in the FA Cup final, their 19th moving them one ahead of Manchester United.

Arsenal invited back full back Mathieu Debuchy for his first appearance since January after a shoulder surgery and, after a brilliant begin from Reading, the holders started examining their rivals' back line.

Arsenal fans will now be hoping for a second FA cup trophy in succession after nine trophyless years.


ASTON VILLA 2 - 1 LIVERPOOL

Villas Fabian Delph ruined Steven Gerrards fairytale goodbye by scoring the winner at Wembley to see the Villans through to their first FA cup final in fifteen years leaving Liverpool miserable and without a trophy again this season.

 Villa may have edged far from threat in the Premier League following Sherwood breezed into Villa Park in February however they were consigned to a sideshow in the construct up to this FA Cup semi-final by the attention on Gerrard's supposed date with fate on 30 May. A Wembley show-stopper on the event of the Liverpool chief's 35th birthday, saying farewell to a sparkling vocation with another bit of flatware; it appeared predetermined.

Rather, Liverpool solidified, Rodgers was strategically outmaneuvered by the Villa administrator and Fabian Delph in addition to Jack Grealish were the exceptional midfielders in plain view. Sherwood's side through to the final against Arsenal with a certain, overwhelming and in vogue execution, a flawlessly executed strategy and the club's first FA Cup win over Liverpool since the semi-final of 1897. Ron Vlaar shone in the midst of a disturbed rear guard and Christian Benteke proceeded with his productive goal scoring with a ninth goal in his last seven trips. Delph's winner in the second half was merited on an individual and aggregate premise.

By difference, Liverpool were curbed and anonymous until blending late on when Gerrard had a header cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson and substitute Mario Balotelli had a goal prohibited for an inaccurate offside decision. Rodgers was submerged in a strategic wreckage he could call his own making, tearing up his starting formation after just 25 minutes, changing his forward line at half-time and ending the game with each outfield Liverpool player in an alternate position to where they began.

It was clarity versus disarray, and clarity inescapably won. Rodgers is presently the first Liverpool director since Phil Taylor in the 1950s not to win a trophy in his initial three seasons at Anfield and the examination will be extraordinary if, as seems likely, Champions League capability stays out of achieve this season.