Capital One Cup: Reading v Arsenal full-time report

Theo Walcott

Reading 5 Arsenal 7 (aet, 4-4 after 90 mins)

Arsenal came from four goals down to force extra-time and then dramatically win the most remarkable Capital One Cup tie at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading went 4-0 up in the first half only for the Gunners to roar back and draw level thanks to Theo Walcott’s strike deep in stoppage time.

Marouane Chamakh then struck to put the Gunners ahead for the first time on the night during the first half of extra-time, and after Pavel Pogrebnyak thought he’d forced a penalty shootout when he made it 5-5, Walcott completed his hat-trick and then Chamakh lobbed Arsenal’s seventh to complete a stunning turnaround.

Whilst the Gunners made 11 changes from Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League victory over QPR, Reading boss Brian McDermott had made six to his side from the 3-3 draw with Fulham, and it was one of those changes who almost gave the Royals the lead early on when Sean Morrison’s header came back off a post.

Arsenal might have thought that the good fortune there was a sign that they were in for an easy night, but that couldn’t have been more wrong as the Royals proceeded to run riot.

Twelve minutes had been played when Hal Robson-Kanu picked up the ball on the left and when the winger shaped to cross into the box, terrific movement from Jason Roberts had already seen him lose the hapless Laurent Koscielny. Robson-Kanu’s low ball was delivered to perfection, and the veteran Roberts slammed it home for the opener.

It was a superb team goal, but Reading’s next two strikes were all down to woeful Arsenal defending, with Koscielny and goalkeeper Damian Martinez starring in their team’s own downfall.

First, Garath McCleary released Chris Gunter down the Reading right, and when the Welsh international fired over a low cross Koscielny was on hand to turn it into his own net. Just two minutes later, several botched Arsenal attempts to clear saw the ball reach Mikele Leigertwood, who fired an effort across goal which Martinez comically parried behind him as he dived to try and save. The ball dropped into the net and Arsène Wenger’s expression dropped accordingly.

The Gunners’ nightmare wasn’t over either, and after a break of 17 minutes when Reading didn’t find the Arsenal net, more terrific play down their right ended in McCleary’s cross being met by a header from Hunt, who scored off the post after outjumping Carl Jenkinson.

The only respite for Arsenal appeared in the closing moments of the first half when Andrey Arshavin’s through ball sent Walcott away, and his express pace saw him tear away before coolly chipping home for 4-1.

If it was a strike which was supposed to instantly inspire the second half comeback then that was almost strangled at birth as Robson-Kanu and Leigertwood went close for Reading, whilst Hunt was denied a penalty when he was flattened by Chamakh. Arsenal, perhaps sensing a chance, threatened through Walcott and Serge Gnabry at the other end, and Chamakh was incensed not to be awarded his own penalty when Gunter handled.

It was arrival of Olivier Giroud off the bench which brought new hope for the Gunners though, and the Frenchman instantly guided in a header from a corner for the second Arsenal goal, before firing a low shot which Adam Federici saved as Reading grew nervy.

Those nerves grew into outright panic when Federici saved brilliantly from another Giroud header moments later, and with Reading looking to limp to the finish line, Koscielny powered in a header from a corner to make it 4-3 with a minute of normal time remaining.

Four added minutes were signalled but five had been played when Walcott got free and poked an effort at goal which crossed the line before striking Nicky Shorey’s arm. Jenkinson made the calls irrelevant by smashing the rebound into the net to spark delirious scenes.

The dramatic events had led to a sense of inevitability that Arsenal would win it now, and that only grew when Chamakh fired home a low shot in the first half of extra-time to give his side an improbable lead with his first goal in 13 months.

Reading kept going though, and substitute Pogrebnyak thought he’d forced penalties with four minutes of extra-time left, only for Walcott to smash home at the death for 6-5 and then Chamakh to lob home Arsenal’s seventh; the 12th goal of an unforgettable evening.

Mark Jones – follow me on Twitter

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