Coquelin is expected to start for the Gunners against Reading on Saturday in front of a sell-out Wembley crowd.
He has greatly impressed in a red shirt over recent weeks after spending a month of the season at Championship side Charlton.
Indeed, he helped the Addicks to a 1-0 away victory over Reading back in November, in which he came on as a second-half substitute.
We need to be ready and start on the front foot
Francis Coquelin
And the Frenchman believes his knowhow of Steve Clarke's team can help Arsene Wenger's troops grind out a victory.
“You know the FA Cup, you don’t know what to expect - any team is ready for it and it is always a tough game at any stage,” he told arsenal.com.
“A semi-final at Wembley will be even tougher. We need to be ready and start on the front foot. Hopefully we can do that and win the game.
“I remember a tough game (against them for Charlton). We won 1-0, but to be honest I don’t think we really deserved it.
“They put a lot of pressure on us, they have (striker Pavel) Pogrebnyak up front who is a big threat, and on the wings they have great players as well.
"We know it will be a tough game, it is a semi-final and the league you play in doesn’t matter.
“Whether you are in the Championship or the Premier League, in a game like this the team who puts the most pressure on and creates the most chances will win.
"If everyone is focused, we know we can get a good result.”
Since returning from Charlton Coquelin has made 22 appearances for the Gunners and has started their last 10 games.