Good afternoon, soccer fans around the globe. Welcome to IcechuksBlog live text coverage of the FA Cup semi-final meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
Both teams are now relying on this competition to keep their season alive, particularly the Gunners who are unlikely to have the safety net of fourth place this time around.
The Citizens have prevailed in each of their last eight appearances at this stage, but it is their opponents who boast the real pedigree in this famous competition after going all the way a joint-record 12 times.
Follow all of the action as it unfolds with our extensive updates below.
OFFICIAL LINE-UPS
ARSENAL: Cech; Gabriel, Koscielny, Holding; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Xhaka, Monreal; Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud
ARSENAL SUBS: Martinez, Bellerin, Gibbs, Coquelin, Walcott, Welbeck, Iwobi
MANCHESTER CITY: Bravo; Navas, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Toure, Fernandinho; De Bruyne, Silva, Sane; Aguero
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Caballero, Zabaleta, Fernando, Sterling, Kolarov, Delph, Iheanacho
105+2 min ET HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME: ARSENAL 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY
105+1 min ET CHANCE! Chance for Welbeck to surely make sure of the win, but he glances his header wide of the target towards the back post. That was the final act of the half, with Craig Pawson blowing for a short break.
105 min ET ARSENAL SUB! Hector Bellerin, sporting a new hairstyle, replaces Oxlade-Chamberlain. The outgoing wing-back has put in a mighty shift and will be happy to have a chance to breathe, as we enter the midway point of extra time.
104 min ET CLOSE! De Bruyne finds Sterling and the Englishman looks to pick out a teammate in the middle. Holding got a boot to the ball to cut it out, sending it inches wide of his own net. Hearts in mouths in the Arsenal end of he ground.
102 min ET Arsenal take the lead in the 11th minute of extra time through their star man. An Ozil free kick into the box bounced nicely for Alexis Sanchez to prod home from close range, putting the Gunners on the brink of the final.
101 min ET GOAL! ARSENAL 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY (ALEXIS SANCHEZ)
99 min ET MANCHESTER CITY SUB! City forced into making their second change of the match, bringing on Fernando for Fernandinho in a like-for-like change. The man leaving the field has been struggling with an injury for a little while so that makes sense.
97 min ET CLOSE! Best chance in this additional period of time yet, as Holding heads over from Ozil's corner. Arsenal doing well to win the set-piece, but Sanchez was unhappy not to have been picked out sooner.
95 min ETA decent cross is aimed towards Ramsey, who could not quite get on the end of it. Oxlade-Chamberlain is the man who created it, incredibly still powering up and down the right-hand flank even with more than an hour and a half played.
93 min ET All about fatigue over these next 30 minutes. So often we see extra time played at a snail's pace and peter out towards penalties, but fingers crossed for some entertainment with both teams still having two subs to make.
91 min ET KICKOFF! Arsenal get us back under way in this intriguing semi-final tie. The Citizens hit the woodwork twice in the latter stages of the second half and will perhaps feel as though they deserved to win the match in normal time.
Referee Craig Pawson blows for full time at the end of the 90 minutes, bringing a close to an entertaining match. A goal apiece, both coming in the second half, means that we will be treated to another 30 minutes at Wembley Stadium.
90+3 min FULL TIME: ARSENAL 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY (EXTRA TIME TO FOLLOW)
90+1 min We are into the first of three added-on minutes and both sides are still looking for what would be a decisive third goal. City just knocking the ball around at the moment, not willing to take any risks by leaving things open at the back.
89 min YELLOW CARD! De Bruyne rather lunges in on Sanchez and is shown the game's third caution. Added time now just a few seconds away, and should we remain locked at 1-1 another 30 minutes will follow in the capital.
87 min CHANCE! A chance for Welbeck to win it, just moments after coming off the bench. The Englishman looked to whip the ball into the top corner, rather than squaring for Ramsey, but it was the wrong choice as the ball ended marginally wide.
85 min ARSENAL SUB! Danny Welbeck is on for Giroud, going straight up top and forcing Sanchez a little wider. Welbeck so nearly found Ramsey with his ball but it was cut out. End-to-end stuff at Wembley in the closing stages!
83 min OFF THE POST! The frame of the goal saves Arsenal for the second time in a matter of minutes. Fernandinho was this time the man denied, sending a thumping header back off the crossbar with Cech seemingly beaten.
81 min A chance for Ozil to make himself a hero, as he bursts through. The German still had plenty to do but was desperate to cut inside, at which point his path was blocked and the chance went begging. Welbeck is now being readied to come on.
79 min OFF THE POST! So close to a superb Yaya Toure goal, as his hooked volley was heading for the bottom corner if not for the smallest of touches from Petr Cech. It really was fingertip stuff, helping the ball onto the post.
77 min Got to wonder whether either side will step off as the final 10 minutes approach. Could come down to fitness and those back-up players, with both teams just probing away at the moment. On course for a real tense finale here!
75 min It is the Gunners' fans who are making all of the noise all of a sudden, knowing just how vital that Monreal leveller was. A game that looked to be heading for a goalless conclusion has well and truly burst into life since the hour.
73 min An unlikely source has given us plenty to play for in these next 17 minutes or so, then, with both managers holding off from making changes. Wenger still has all three subs available, while Guardiola has so far used one of his.
71 min Wenger's wing-back gamble has just paid off in one swift move. Oxlade-Chamberlain swung in a delightful cross from the right, which was met emphatically by Monreal at the back post with a right-footed volley past Bravo. Game on!
70 min GOAL! ARSENAL 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY (NACHO MONREAL)
68 min YELLOW CARD! Fernandinho rightly booked for a cynical challenge, as Arsenal begin to step things up. Wenger holding off making the changes for now but that will surely change in the next few moments at Wembley.
66 min CLOSE! City looking vulnerable after going ahead, with Ozil turning and sending his short narrowly wide from the edge of the box. It is the Citizens' supporters who are making all the noise in the stands.
64 min Arsenal give away possession through Ramsey and, one Toure ball over the top later, Aguero is clean through on goal. The striker's initial tough was too heavy, tempting Cech to race out, but his dinked finish over the keeper was sublime.
62 min GOAL! ARSENAL 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
60 min City now looking to take control of the match but Arsenal are quickly back behind the ball and forming a solid shape. Both sides working hard so far, just lacking that extra bit of quality when it comes to the final pass.
58 min This second half has yet to truly get going, in truth. Arsenal the side on top, unlike in the first half when City bossed much of the possession, which may see Guardiola spring into action in the next few minutes by making a change.
56 min Bravo slips and Sanchez is so nearly in, but the Chilean recovers well. The City stopper then got to the ball first to collect, easing the growing pressure that is beginning to build on his side.
54 min Better from Arsenal, who are now starting to ask some questions of their opponents higher up the field. Extra time and penalties await as things stand, remember, with the tie to be decided on the day.
52 min Man United have defeated Burnley in the early Premier League game of the day, so City are now just one point ahead of their rivals ahead of Thursday's meeting. All focus on the here and now, as Otamendi heads into the ground and wide.
50 min Some uncertainty inside the City box when the ball comes in from a deep position. Kompany landed quite awkwardly and stayed on the ground, which is always a worry when he is involved, but the Belgian is OK to carry on.
48 min No changes made by either manager at the break, incidentally, so it is as you were. Fernandinho with an early clipped ball into the box which fails to get past the Gunners' first man. City looking to pick up from where they left off.
46 min RESTART! We are back under way at Wembley Stadium, where all eyes are on the officials. One incorrect call made by the linesman to deny Sterling a goal, and also contentious penalty appeals that could have gone either way.
Jesus Navas brought Alexis Sanchez down by pulling his short, showing no intent of getting to the ball - a penalty, but again the officials did not give it. That is very much the story of the first half, which has ended goalless at Wembley Stadium. Plenty for both camps to chew over.
45+2 min HALF TIME: ARSENAL 0-0 MANCHESTER CITY
45 min Half time now just moments away and it is the Citizens who will feel more aggrieved by the goalless nature of the match. They have been the better side and should be ahead, having scored a goal that was wrongly ruled out.
43 min Harsh to criticise the officials for that call, but that Sterling goal should have stood. No technology available for that decision, though if it was in use the Citizens would be taking a one-goal lead into the break.
41 min GOAL DISALLOWED! The first real piece of controversy of the match. Sane's cross went right over but was met by Aguero at the back post, whose shot was well kept out right on the line by Cech. Sterling smashed home the rebound but the official adjudged that the initial cross went out of play - it didn't.
39 min SHOT! A first sight of goal of the afternoon for Aguero, who works space to blast the ball into the side-netting. That one can go down as a half-chance, with the Argentinian finding the net from a similar position countless times before.
37 min Still just the one serious attempt on target from either side as we approach half time at Wembley. A gripping enough game of football, but unlike yesterday one goal could well prove to be enough to win the contest.
35 min Aguero far from comfortable but he is going to continue for now. Arsenal coming under increasing pressure at the moment, going with five across the back due to the nature of City's attacking runs.
33 min Koscielny knees Aguero in the spine, leading to a stoppage in play while the City striker receives some treatment. A few players in the wars so far today, including Silva who limped off after a strong Gabriel challenge.
31 min City increasing the pressure in the past few minutes through some powerful forward runs. Sane looks to charge in behind but only gets a corner at the end of it, which the Gunners do not even have to defend because the ball did not go into the box.
29 min PENALTY APPEAL! Aguero goes down inside the box under a challenge from Oxlade-Chamberlain, but referee Craig Pawson waves away his penalty appeal. The Arsenal man did clip him, though, so that should have been a spot kick.
27 min YELLOW CARD! Sanchez tackling like a centre-forward on Fernandinho to earn the game's first caution. City fans sarcastically applaud due to Gabriel avoiding a caution for his challenge on Silva a little earlier.
25 min MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Silva was unable to shake off his hamstring injury and has now been replaced by Sterling - not a bad replacement to come on, but Silva offers something completely different. Koscielny prodded the ball into the net beforehand but was well offside.
23 min Giroud appears to have shaken off his early knock, but now there are concerns over Silva who is hobbling alone. Ozil sidesteps past Kompany and is barged off the ball, winning his side a free kick in a decent cross position.
21 min Clichy with a shocker of an attempt, which ends high in the stands from 23 yards out. An attempt on target at either end so far - Silva testing Cech and Giroud forcing a simple stop out of Bravo.
19 min De Bruyne lifts a free kick towards the back post, where Kompany could not quite direct it on goal under some pressure. A really good delivery and one that should have been met by a player in sky blue.
17 min SAVES! Arsenal have been second best so far, but it is they who have created the first opening of the match. Ozil helped the ball out wide to Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose cross was directed straight down the middle by the head of Giroud. Up the other end, Cech tipped over Silva's header from a similar position.
15 min Gabriel a little fortunate to avoid a booking for his strong challenge. Craig Pawson is the man in the middle today, incidentally, giving the defender a first and last warning before reaching into his pocket.
13 min Giroud had a coming together with Kompany a little earlier and has been hobbling around ever since. Not really seen the Frenchman so far because his side have been pegged back into their own final third of the pitch.
11 min That was the closest either side has come to truly getting in behind, and if not for a slight miscontrol from Aguero he would have been clean through. It is the Citizens who are beginning to see a lot more of the ball.
9 min Huge interception from Koscielny, as Aguero looked favourite to get on the end of Silva' inch-perfect through-ball. Aguero perhaps could have taken his first touch better, giving his opponent the chance to get across and block.
7 min Oxlade-Chamberlain given a chance to break for the first time today, but he fails to find Giroud at the end of his charge. City's turn to knock the ball around now, slowly probing for some holes to exploit in the opposition's backline.
5 min Navas with plenty of space to charge into down the right flank, making the most of Arsenal's wing-backs remaining high up the pitch, but not for the first time in his City career the delivery into the box is rather poor.
3 min An early attempt from De Bruyne, which he drags wide of Cech's goal from the edge of the box. Plenty of attacking intent from both sides from the off, which is hopefully a sign of things to come over the next 90 minutes.
1 min KICKOFF! We are up and running in the English capital for the second of this weekend's mouthwatering semi-finals. Extra time and penalties to come if required, with Premier League leaders Chelsea awaiting the winners in next month's final.
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