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After that the referee told them they can start to walk out of the tunnel, and both team that lining up behind the referee's are start walking out of the tunnel and slowly hear the cheers of the fans at the stadium.
The tunnel opened up, and suddenly, the full force of Wembley hit him.
The noise was deafening.
A sea of red and white filled half the stadium, flags waving, scarves held high. Arsenal fans were in full voice, singing their hearts out. On the other side, Reading supporters were just as loud, desperate to see their team pull off an upset. The sheer scale of it all sent a shiver down Francesco's spine.
This was it.
They stepped onto the pitch, the bright lights overhead making everything feel even more surreal. Francesco tilted his head back slightly, letting the moment sink in. The smell of fresh-cut grass, the distant flickers of camera flashes, the chants—it was intoxicating.
The teams lined up beside the referee, facing the stands. Francesco kept his gaze straight ahead, standing tall, trying to soak it all in without letting the nerves creep in too much. He glanced at the big screen above the stands—it showed his face, his name, and the Arsenal crest beside it. Seeing that sent another jolt of energy through him.
The handshakes followed. One by one, they greeted the officials and the Reading players. Francesco shook hands with the referee, offering a respectful nod. Then came the Reading players. He made sure to keep it professional, a firm grip, a nod, a quick "Good luck." Some of them returned the sentiment; others had that competitive fire in their eyes, already looking at him like an opponent to be taken down.
Once the formalities were done, Arsenal gathered on the left side of the pitch. The captains, Per Mertesacker and Alex Pearce, met in the center circle with the referee to decide who would kick off. Francesco watched as Per extended his hand, exchanging a few words with Pearce before the referee tossed the coin into the air.
It landed.
The referee nodded, pointing toward Reading's half. They had won the toss and would decide which side to attack first. Per and Pearce exchanged another handshake before jogging back to their respective teams.
Francesco took in a deep breath, bouncing on his toes. He could feel the energy vibrating through his body, every fiber of him ready for what was coming. Wembley. An FA Cup semi-final. His biggest game yet.
The referee gave a final glance at both goalkeepers, making sure they were ready. Then, with a sharp blow of the whistle, the game began.
Reading took the first possession, their midfielders quickly shifting the ball around, looking for openings. Arsenal pressed high, with Coquelin stepping forward to disrupt their rhythm, while Cazorla moved into pockets of space, ready to receive and transition into attack.
The opening ten minutes were intense. Both teams were feeling each other out, testing defensive lines, looking for vulnerabilities. Reading wasn't just sitting back—they were aggressive, pressing hard, determined to show they belonged on this stage. Their wingers Robson-Kanu and McCleary made darting runs down the flanks, trying to stretch Arsenal's defense, forcing Koscielny and Mertesacker to stay sharp.
Francesco tracked back, helping Debuchy on the right. Chalobah sent a dangerous diagonal ball toward Robson-Kanu, but Francesco anticipated it, closing the space and intercepting with a well-timed touch. He controlled it smoothly before turning and sprinting forward, igniting Arsenal's counterattack.
He cut inside, scanning his options. Özil was already making a run into the final third, while Alexis peeled off to the left, signaling for the ball. Francesco threaded a pass into Özil's path, and in an instant, the German playmaker slid a through ball into the box for Welbeck.
Welbeck took a touch, then fired.
The shot was powerful, but Reading's goalkeeper, Adam Federici, reacted quickly, diving low to push it away. The rebound spilled dangerously into the box, but a Reading defender cleared it just in time before Alexis could pounce.
The Arsenal fans roared in appreciation, sensing their team starting to find a rhythm.
Reading responded immediately. They won back possession and surged forward, playing with urgency. Their striker Mackie received the ball just outside the box, turned swiftly, and unleashed a low drive toward the bottom corner.
Szczesny dived full stretch, fingertips grazing the ball as it skidded inches wide of the post.
It was end-to-end football.
The pace was relentless. Both goalkeepers were called into action repeatedly, forced into saves that kept their teams level. Francesco was heavily involved, constantly looking to exploit space on the right. His link-up with Özil and Debuchy created several dangerous moments, but Reading defended with discipline, blocking crosses, closing down passing lanes.
Twenty minutes in, neither side had found the breakthrough. But the intensity of the match was undeniable.
Arsenal was starting to dictate possession, their passing crisp, their movement fluid. Cazorla, as always, was a metronome in midfield, controlling the tempo, switching play effortlessly. Coquelin provided steel, breaking up Reading's attacks with his tough tackling.
Then, in the 22nd minute, Arsenal came close again.
Francesco received the ball near the halfway line, turned quickly, and drove forward. Reading defender Hector stepped up to challenge, but Francesco feinted right before pushing the ball past him on the left, accelerating into space. The crowd rose in anticipation as he surged down the wing.
Spotting Alexis making a diagonal run into the box, Francesco whipped in a cross with pinpoint accuracy. The Chilean met it with a powerful header, aiming for the top corner.
Federici reacted brilliantly, tipping the ball over the bar at full stretch.
Francesco let out a breath, hands on his hips. That was close. Arsenal was knocking on the door.
The resulting corner was taken short, Cazorla passing it to Özil, who floated in a teasing ball. Koscielny rose high, meeting it with a glancing header, but it sailed just over the bar.
Reading breathed a sigh of relief.
The match continued with the same energy. Reading, despite Arsenal's dominance in possession, refused to back down. Their midfielders worked tirelessly, closing down space, forcing mistakes. They had a clear game plan—stay compact, hit on the counter.
And in the 27th minute, they nearly stunned Arsenal.
A misplaced pass in midfield allowed Reading to break quickly. Their striker Pogrebnyak was played through on goal, sprinting between Mertesacker and Koscielny. The Arsenal fans held their breath.
Szczesny rushed out, narrowing the angle.
The Reading forward fired.
Szczesny parried the shot away, the ball rebounding dangerously inside the box.
Before a Reading player could react, Mertesacker cleared it, sending the ball out for a corner.
Francesco exhaled, sharing a glance with his teammates. They needed to be sharper.
The corner was whipped in, but Coquelin rose highest, heading it clear. Arsenal immediately launched a counterattack. Cazorla picked up the loose ball and sent a precise pass to Özil, who turned and spotted Francesco sprinting down the right.
Özil played an inch-perfect ball over the top.
Francesco controlled it beautifully with his first touch, then drove toward the box. A Reading defender closed in, but Francesco cut inside onto his left foot and curled a shot toward the far post.
The Emirates end of Wembley erupted in anticipation.
Federici dived.
The ball swerved just inches wide.
Francesco ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. That was the best chance yet.
The game continued with both sides pushing hard. Reading showed resilience, their defense holding firm despite Arsenal's waves of attacks. But Arsenal was growing stronger, their movement becoming sharper and their passing more accurate.
The match pressed on with unrelenting intensity, both sides unwilling to give an inch. The stalemate continued, but Arsenal was starting to gain more control, pressing Reading deeper into their own half.
In the 29th minute, Arsenal carved out another golden opportunity. Cazorla, dictating the tempo from midfield, found Özil in space. The German playmaker danced past one defender before slipping a perfect pass into the path of Welbeck, who had made a darting run into the box.
Welbeck took the shot first-time, aiming for the bottom corner.
Federici was at full stretch, his fingertips barely enough to divert the ball past the post.
Another chance gone.
The Arsenal fans groaned in frustration, but the players remained composed. They were knocking on the door, and the goal felt inevitable.
Reading, to their credit, didn't simply sit back. They fought back aggressively, launching their own attacks when the opportunity arose. And in the 31st minute, they nearly punished Arsenal for their missed chances.
A miscommunication between Coquelin and Koscielny saw Reading's Garath McCleary pounce on a loose ball just outside the box. He wasted no time, taking a touch before unleashing a venomous shot that swerved dangerously toward the top corner.
Szczesny reacted instinctively, leaping to his right, his outstretched hand getting just enough on the ball to tip it over the bar.
It was a phenomenal save, and the Arsenal keeper knew it. He quickly got up, shouting instructions to his defenders, urging them to stay switched on.
The match continued at a blistering pace.
Five minutes later, in the 34th minute, Arsenal came close again.
Francesco, who had been electric down the right flank, found himself in a pocket of space. He received the ball from Cazorla, took a quick glance up, and curled in a teasing cross toward Alexis Sánchez at the back post.
Sánchez timed his jump perfectly, his header arrowing toward the bottom corner.
Federici, once again, came to Reading's rescue, diving low to his left to make a smart save. He pushed the ball away, and before an Arsenal player could pounce on the rebound, Reading defender Hector hoofed it clear.
Arsenal was getting closer. The frustration among the players was palpable.
Then, in the 36th minute, Reading nearly turned the game on its head.
A quick counterattack saw Nathaniel Chalobah play an inch-perfect ball through Arsenal's defensive line. Pogrebnyak latched onto it, his powerful frame allowing him to hold off Mertesacker as he drove into the box.
The Arsenal end of Wembley held its breath.
Pogrebnyak unleashed a fierce shot toward the near post.
Szczesny was equal to it, reacting with lightning speed to parry it away.
Koscielny scrambled to clear the loose ball before any Reading player could follow up.
Another close call.
The back-and-forth continued, the tension in the air thick. Arsenal knew they couldn't afford to keep letting Reading grow in confidence. They needed to capitalize on their control of the game.
Then, in the 39th minute, the breakthrough finally came.
Özil, who had been pulling the strings all night, found himself in a pocket of space just outside the Reading penalty area. He took a delicate touch to control the ball before spotting a gap between Alex Pearce and Chris Gunter in the Reading defense.
With the kind of vision only he possessed, he slid a perfectly through ball between the two defenders.
Alexis Sánchez saw it before anyone else.
He made the run, darting between Pearce and Gunter, breaking free and finding himself one-on-one with Federici.
Time seemed to slow.
Sánchez took one touch to steady himself.
Federici rushed out, trying to close the angle.
Sánchez remained composed, waiting until the last possible moment before dinking the ball over the Reading goalkeeper.
The ball floated gracefully, soaring past Federici's outstretched hands.
For a brief second, Wembley fell silent.
Then, as the ball nestled into the back of the net, the Arsenal end erupted.
Sánchez wheeled away in celebration, arms outstretched as his teammates sprinted toward him. Özil was the first to reach him, wrapping him in a hug, followed closely by Francesco, Welbeck, Cazorla, Gibbs, Debuchy, and Coquelin.
The Arsenal bench jumped to their feet, fists pumping in the air.
It was a moment of pure brilliance.
Francesco joined the celebrations, grinning as he clapped Sánchez on the back. "Class finish," he said, breathless from the intensity of the game.
Sánchez, still grinning, simply nodded.
Arsenal finally had their lead.
With the deadlock finally broken, Arsenal knew the next few minutes before halftime would be crucial. They had the lead, but Reading was a team that wouldn't back down easily. The goal had stung them, and now they were pushing forward with renewed urgency, desperate to find an equalizer before the break.
Sensing the shift in momentum, Arsenal adjusted their approach. Instead of continuing to attack relentlessly, they dropped deeper, setting up a compact defensive shape. Coquelin anchored the midfield, barking instructions, ensuring everyone stayed disciplined. Cazorla, Özil, and Francesco, who had been so aggressive in their forward movements, now focused on retaining possession and slowing the tempo when possible.
Reading, however, had no intention of letting Arsenal settle. They poured men forward, their full-backs pushing high, their wingers darting into space, trying to stretch Arsenal's defense. McCleary, who had been a thorn in Arsenal's side all game, tested Kieran Gibbs with his pace, forcing the left-back to track back and stay alert.
In the 42nd minute, Reading came dangerously close to leveling the score. A quick one-two between Chalobah and Robson-Kanu saw the latter break into the final third. He swung in a low cross, which found Mackie at the near post. The Reading striker turned sharply and got a shot off.
It was heading for the bottom corner.
Szczesny, who had already made two crucial saves earlier, reacted instantly. He dived low to his right, getting a strong hand to the shot and pushing it away. The ball rebounded back into play, but before a Reading player could pounce, Mertesacker was there, clearing it into touch.
It was a warning sign. Arsenal could not afford to switch off.
The final minutes of the half were tense. Arsenal continued to sit deep, their defensive line staying compact, forcing Reading to try their luck from distance. Chalobah attempted a long-range effort in the 44th minute, but it sailed harmlessly over the bar. Moments later, McCleary cut inside and let fly from the edge of the box, but his shot was too central, allowing Szczesny to gather it comfortably.
Francesco, though primarily focused on helping Debuchy on the right, found a moment to break forward in stoppage time. After intercepting a loose pass, he surged down the flank, looking to relieve some pressure. He carried the ball deep into Reading's half before drawing a foul near the corner flag. It was a smart play—valuable seconds ticked away, allowing Arsenal to reorganize.
Cazorla took the resulting free-kick, floating a teasing ball into the box. Koscielny rose highest but couldn't direct his header on target. The ball bounced behind for a goal kick, and with that, the referee glanced at his watch before blowing for halftime.
Arsenal had the lead.
As the players walked off the pitch, there was a sense of determination in their expressions. They had done well to break through Reading's resistance, but they knew the job was far from finished. The second half promised to be just as intense, if not more.
In the dressing room, Arsène Wenger's message was clear: stay composed, stay disciplined, and don't let Reading back into the game. Francesco listened intently, knowing that the next 45 minutes would require just as much effort, if not more.
As the players rehydrated and stretched, the atmosphere in the dressing room was focused. They were halfway to an FA Cup final, that made them had to see it through and avoid defeat.
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Name : Francesco Lee
Age : 16 (2014)
Birthplace : London, England
Football Club : Arsenal First Team
Championship History : None
Match Played: 26
Goal: 31
Assist: 12
MOTM: 8