Key Events So Far
- Arsenal 2-0 Reading
- Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Reading (Ox)
- Goal! Arsenal 1-0 Reading (Oxlade-Chamberlain)
- We're underway!
- Team news: No Giroud as Lucas starts for rejigged Gunners
- Gunners looking to maintain their perfect Reading record
Here's the Ox's second
He strikes low and hard from distance...
...and one deflection later, he’s celebrating with his team-mates!
Jenkinson comes through unscathed
Who impressed you most at the Emirates?
Let’s be honest, we all know who Adrian Kajumba’s man of the match was.
But you can check out the rest of his player ratings right HERE.
5 things we learned as Arsenal book their passage into the final eight.
You can check out all of Adrian Kajumba’s learnings from the Emirates HERE.
In the meantime, here’s a taster:
Oxlade-Chamberlain has the taste for goals
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is all set for his best scoring season for Arsenal.
His goals against Reading were his fourth and fifth of the campaign so far, already beating his best ever tally for the Gunners. He scored four in the 2011/12 season.
Arsene Wenger declared this is “an important season” for Oxlade-Chamberlain before the big kick off. And based on his goals return he has responded like he realises that is the case.
Arsenal 2-0 Reading
So there it is. An easy win for Arsenal in the end, thanks to a double by the Ox.
Despite his difficult start to the season, he appears to be finally discovering some end product.
That brace takes his tally to 5 for the season - which is his best return in a season for the Gunners...
The game's winding down now
Reading are still pushing, but they just look like they’ve run out of steam since that second goal.
And Arsenal are playing like they’re happy to see it out now.
This has undoubtedly been the Ox’s night.
Arsenal substitution: Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced by Zelalem
That goal is the Ox’s last involvement of the night, he won’t get a hat-trick today.
But that doesn’t matter.
He’s been the difference tonight!
Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Reading (Ox)
Oxlade-Chamberlain has his second goal of the night!
He latches onto a loose ball and smashes it from outside the area, a deflection wrong-footing Al-Habsi and taking the ball into the net.
Great night for the England winger.
McLeary booked for cynical tackle on Ox
That’s the first booking of the night and it goes to McLeary, after he tripped the Ox from behind to stop an Arsenal surge.
Elneny is on set-piece duty tonight.
His deep cross is headed into a dangerous area by Giroud, but it comes to nothing...
Arsenal substitution: Lucas off
It looks like Lucas picked up an injury in that incident with Gravenberch.
He’s substituted and heads straight down the tunnel, to be replaced by Chris Willock, who made his debut in the previous round.
Giroud nearly makes it two!
Elneny crosses and Giroud leaps ahead of the Reading defence, for a trademark bullet header!
It’s on target, but Al-Habsi saves.
That was a great save!
Holding nearly bundles in the rebound but Reading just about deal with it!!
Reading substitution: Gravenberch enters the fray
It’s a change at the back for Reading, with the imposing figure of Danzell Gravenberch on for Tennai Watson.
He’s immediately invovled, putting in a late challenge on Lucas.
Lucky not to be booked with his first involvement of the night.
Arsenal substitution: Jeff replaced by Giroud
Jeff Reine-Adelaide makes way for Olivier Giroud to a huge roar by the crowd.
He may not have featured much so far, but the fans still love him.
And he has 25 minutes to remind Wenger what he can do, in a front two with Lucas.
Kermorgant forces a save out of Martinez
The Frenchman rose well to get his head on the end of a looping cross.
It was on target, but Martinez made an easy save.
Still, that’s pretty much the most he’s had to do so far...
The Royals have been more lively since the striker’s introduction - with McLeary looking to get forward and cross for the big man.
Reading substitution: Kermorgant replaces Harriott
That’s the end of Callum Harriott’s night. He had some of Reading’s best passages of play.
But he won’t get any glory tonight.
He makes way for the club’s main striker, Yann Kermorgant, who is immediately involved - being flagged offside.
Some people have been impressed by Lucas...
But when you’re competing with Giroud and Sanchez, nice build-up play isn’t enough.
You’re going to be judged on end product and so far tonight, his has been lacking.
Lucas denied!
That was a chance for Lucas after good work down the left by Gibbs and Reine-Adelaide, who played the Spaniard in.
But he just took too long before unleashing the shot, which was charged down from an acute angle.
Since the interval, the forward is trying to get more involved - maybe Wenger reminded him that Giroud is itching to take his place.
The second half gets underway
No changes for either side at the break as we get back underway.
Arsenal are immediately looking to stretch the visitors as Reine-Adelaide takes on two down the left-hand side.
Half-time: Arsenal 1-0 Reading
Not quite the goalfest way may have been hoping for between the sides.
Reading have had a few moments, but for the most part Arsenal’s makeshift back four have more than coped with the threat, despite one or two scares late on.
At the other end, Arsenal made plenty of chances, but it was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who made the difference, scoring a great solo goal to give the Gunners the lead at the break.
They’ll want at least another goal before they can relax though, with Reading still looking dangerous on the counter attack.
Reading manager Jaap Stam will hope his side can muster more end product in the second half.
Oooh! Harriott has Reading's best chance
Reading forward Callum Harriott gets the ball out of his feet on the edge of the box, turns and fires.
The ball takes a deflection off the back of Gabriel and loops onto the roof of the net.
Form the resultant corner, Tyler Blackett gets his head on the ball, but his header is easily saved by Martinez.
Ox opens the scoring at the Emirates
It was a great solo goal by the Ox, who picked up a stray pass 25 yards out, drove into the box and slotted home.
It’s goals like that which make it all the more frustrating for Arsenal fans that the 23-year-old is still so inconsistent.
But he’s proven to be the difference between the two sides so far.
Reading's task just got harder
Arsenal’s defence has been stingy of late, conceding just twice - both to Swansea - in their past seven games and recording six clean sheets.
A mountain to climb for the Royals now.
Arsenal vs Reading: Shots, 37 mins
Ox is enjoying the EFL Cup
Goal! Arsenal 1-0 Reading (Oxlade-Chamberlain)
Arsenal have the lead after some good work by Oxlade-Chamberlain, who looks pounces on a loose ball as the visitors try to play their way out from the back.
After being relatively quiet so far tonight, he jinks his way into the box and fires low and hard into the far post, through the legs of Blackett, past Al-Habsi.
That’s what Arsenal fans want to see from the right-winger more often.
Arsenal having plenty of potshots
The Gunners have peppered the space around Al-Habsi’s goal with plenty of chances so far, but haven’t caused him too many problems in the opening half hour.
Lucas has had the best opportunity, but looked like a man still unsure of himself as he tried to pass instead of taking the chance on himself.
Both his Arsenal goals to date came in the previous round of this competition, in the Gunners’ 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest
Callum Harriott has been busy for the visitors
The Reading forward has nearly found a way through on a couple of occasions, but so far Arsenal’s defence has held fast.
Who would have thunk it?
After this match-up has delivered so many goals in the past, we’re still at 0-0 with 28 minutes on the clock...
Great defensive play by Holding
A great tackle by Holding denies McCleary of the ball, after he’s picked out by Kelly, and puts to end a dangerous looking Reading counter attack.
That was very assured by the young centre- back!
Lucas fluffs a great chance!
Lucas is played down the right hand-side and has support as he picks the ball up inside the area.
But he can’t square to Reine-Adelaide who was unmarked and with an open goal.
Should have used his right foot, but instead tried to do it with his left - that was poor.
Obita works Martinez
Obita was able to get a shot away after some lax defending by Oxlade-Chamberlain.
His shot stung Martinez’s palms, but the young Argentine was able to get down well and make the save.