Reading vs. Arsenal: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream and TV Info

Arsenal face Reading at Wembley Stadium with a place in the FA Cup final at stake.

History suggests the game will produce goals: There have been a total of 24 in the last three meetings between the two sides. However, it will take a major upset for Reading to reach the final: Arsene Wenger's side have won each of the last 12 fixtures these teams have played.

Arsenal are the reigning FA Cup holders, and they faced Championship opposition at this stage last season in the shape of Wigan Athletic. The underdogs took the Gunners all the way to penalties. This time, Reading will look to go one better.

Date: Saturday, April 18

Time: 5:20 p.m. BST/12:20 p.m. ET

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London

TV Info: FOX network (U.S.), BBC One (UK)

Live Stream:  FOX Soccer 2 Go (U.S.), BBC iPlayer (UK)

Form Guide (last five results of both teams)

Reading:

• L (0-1) vs. Bournemouth
• D (0-0) vs. Blackburn Rovers
• D (1-1) vs. Blackpool
• D (1-1) vs. Cardiff City
• L (3-2) vs. Charlton Athletic

Bogdan Maran/Associated Press

Arsenal:

• W (0-1) vs. Burnley
• W (4-1) vs. Liverpool
• W (1-2) vs. Newcastle United
• W (0-2) vs. Monaco
• W (3-0) vs. West Ham United

Arsenal are in the midst of their best run of form in the league since 2004. Reading, on the other hand, are without a win since their quarter-final replay against Bradford City on March 16. In fact, the Royals have won just two of their last 13 Championship games.

Wenger will be hoping to continue an impressive semi-final record, as he has won six of his nine FA Cup semis in charge of the Gunners to date.

Team News

Reading's on-loan pair of Nathan Ake and Kwesi Appiah are both cup-tied. However, fellow loanees Nathaniel Chalobah and Jamie Mackie are both available to play. Pavel Pogrebnyak's participation was in doubt due to a calf problem, but he has passed a fitness test and is ready for selection.

Yves Logghe/Associated Press

Arsenal will still be without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta, but Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby and Mathieu Debuchy are all back and in contention. Wojciech Szczesny will start in goal, and Danny Welbeck may displace Olivier Giroud at centre-forward after his winner in the last round at Old Trafford.

Predicted Reading XI

Adam Federici; Chris Gunter, Alex Pearce, Michael Hector, Jordan Obita; Jamie Mackie, Jem Karacan, Nathaniel Chalobah, Garath McCleary; Pavel Pogrebnyak, Hal Robson-Kanu.

Predicted Arsenal XI

Wojciech Szczesny; Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla; Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez; Danny Welbeck.

Players to Watch

Reading: Jamie Mackie

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

A bullish wide man with Premier League experience, Mackie was the star of Reading's triumph over Bradford in the last round.

He's not the quickest forward but works tirelessly to exploit the space between the full-back and the centre-half. Arsenal's defenders will not get a moment's peace with Mackie around.

Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez

Bogdan Maran/Associated Press

Alexis Sanchez would love to celebrate his nomination for PFA Player of the Year with a starring performance at Wembley. He's shone at this stadium before, playing for Chile as they dismantled England in November 2013.

Reading will not have encountered many players of Alexis' calibre at Championship level. It would be no great surprise if he proved to be the difference between the two sides.