Alexis Sanchez scored his fourth Wembley goal in three appearances to help Arsenal to a 2-1 win over Manchester City in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final showdown.
The game went the distance after Nacho Monreal volleyed home at the back post to cancel out a smart Sergio Aguero opener.
City twice hit the woodwork in the second half and also had a goal wrongly ruled out beforehand, but in the end it was the Gunners who got over the line thanks to Sanchez's close-range finish in extra time.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup semi-final meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. These two sides are now essentially relying on this competition to keep their respective seasons alive, particularly in the case of the Gunners as they are unlikely to have their usual safety net of fourth place to fall back on this time around.
That is not to say that the pressure is not on the Citizens, too, as boss Pep Guardiola admitted this week that the club's ambitious owners will not be happy to have gone an entire campaign without silverware added to the collection. We already know one of the sides that will compete in the final next month, with Chelsea overcoming Tottenham Hotspur a little under 24 hours ago in a real thriller to remain on course for a domestic double.
TEAM NEWS!
ARSENAL XI: Cech; Gabriel, Koscielny, Holding; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Xhaka, Monreal; Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud
MANCHESTER CITY XI: Bravo; Navas, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Toure, Fernandinho; De Bruyne, Silva, Sane; Aguero
Starting with a look at the Gunners, manager Arsene Wenger has decided to stick with his three-at-the-back experiment. It appeared to be a ploy to reinvent himself when springing the surprise system against Middlesbrough, answering his growing number of critics, but using it against Man City is a different matter entirely. It is very much make-or-break time for the Frenchman, though, and it goes without saying that this Arsenal side had become fare too stale.
So after going 20 years without using a three-man backline, Wenger has now used it twice in the space of the week. It is an unchanged side from last Monday's 2-1 win at the Riverside Stadium, meaning that Rob Holding again fills in for the injured Shkodran Mustafi, while Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista start alongside him. The biggest decision Wenger had to make was whether to recall Hector Bellerin, though that is not the case as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is at right wing-back.
Olivier Giroud is the man to lead the attack for the Gunners once more, retaining his place over Danny Welbeck who passed a late fitness test on a toe injury but is also among the subs today. Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil remain the two stellar names in this Arsenal side, occupying a role just off the lone striker, while Aaron Ramsey - talked up massively by his manager on the eve of this game - partners Granit Xhaka in the engine room.
It is a similar story for the Citizens, who themselves go with an unchanged XI from their last outing - a 3-0 win at Southampton eight days ago. No real reason for Guardiola to tweak things on the back of that performance, which was arguably his side's finest on their travels since he took charge of the club. It means that City will go with a hybrid 4-2-3-1 formation, though Yaya Toure will likely be the one player to remain deep in midfield.
Raheem Sterling will be particularly disappointed to have been overlooked for selection, having also been left out on the South Coast last weekend, but Leroy Sane, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne are instead selected to provide attacking support for leading forward - and still arguably the undisputed star of this City side - Sergio Aguero. There is no John Stones for a second match running, but he is expected to be back for the Manchester derby four days from now.
A big call was made by Guardiola last weekend when sticking with Claudio Bravo between the sticks, and he was 'rewarded' by a first save made by the Chilean in a good few months. These two sides boast a number of high-quality stars, particularly in the attacking ranks, but this may be a shootout between top scorers Aguero and Sanchez. The former has 29 goals to his name this term, while his Arsenal counterpart - fielded all across the frontline - has six fewer.
BENCH WATCH!
ARSENAL SUBS: Martinez, Bellerin, Gibbs, Coquelin, Walcott, Welbeck, Iwobi
MANCHESTER CITY: Caballero, Zabaleta, Fernando, Sterling, Kolarov, Delph, Iheanacho
Wenger is without a few fringe players this afternoon, including Lucas Perez and David Ospina, but there is at least a place on the bench for fitness concern Danny Welbeck. Elsewhere, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott provide attacking support if required, and there is also a place among the subs for wing-back options Kieran Gibbs and Hector Bellerin. City have Raheem Sterling among their deputies, no doubt frustrated to miss out, while Fabian Delph and Ikechi Iheanacho are also involved in the matchday 18.
There was talk of Gabriel Jesus returning to Manchester City's squad for today's match, having made a remarkable recover from a fractured metatarsal injury inside a couple of months, but he is now eyeing Thursday's Manchester derby. Sergio Aguero, with 29 goals to his name in all competitions this term, is therefore the man tasked with leading the line, as both teams go with unchanged starting lineups from last time out.
A huge afternoon ahead in the English capital for both of these underperforming sides, then, as they look to end a disappointing campaign on the whole with some silverware. Arsenal are currently sitting seventh in the Premier League and now relying on the FA Cup to save their season, while Man City are better placed in the top four - their minimum target in Guardiola's first year at the Etihad Stadium helm.
The Gunners last finished outside the top four in 1995-96, the year before Wenger took charge, but that is looking increasingly likely to change this time around. Wenger may have won this competition six times and triumphed in the Premier League on three occasions, yet supporters are growing frustrated by the lack of constant success. All the Frenchman truly has to fall back on - and this is something that is hard to argue with - is the fact that he has repeatedly qualified for the Champions League.
It is a phenomenal record, particularly in recent years when the competition has heated up - Manchester United and Chelsea among the heavyweight sides to miss out this time around - but that safety net has now surely been pulled away. Arsenal trail fourth-placed City by seven points after playing one game fewer, while Man United are also better placed on 60 points and ready to pounce on any slip-ups.
The caveat to all this is that Arsenal only had one point more at the same stage of the Premier League season 12 months ago, yet they were third back then en route to eventually finishing above Tottenham in second. That was enough to keep Wenger in a job, but it is worth mentioning that the circumstances are different this time around - his contract is due to expire, meaning that a mutual decision still has to be made, if it has not already. The result of today's game could well determine his final decision.
It is hard to truly gauge fan opinion, but it is widely considered that the fanbase has been split around 50-50 over Wenger's future. Many have simply grown bored of the groundhog day nature of things, constantly qualifying for European football's elite competition but not making it past the first knockout-stage hurdle for seven years running. The North London outfit have recently endured their worst set of results in the Frenchman's 21-year reign, too, so it is clear to see why matters are boiling over.
A run of three wins in 10 outings overall has recently improved to five in 13, including that 2-1 triumph at Middlesbrough last time out that saw the Gunners produce the bare minimum that was required to get the job done. Wenger claims that he is "clear" over what he intends to do with regards to the two-year contract waiting to be signed, though surely the delay is down to seeing how his side perform in the one competition they remain in with a shot of winning?
It is a similar case to two of the Gunners' past three seasons, in fact, as the FA Cup also proved to be enough to appease the board. Winning this famous competition should not be played down - it is a major honour and one that takes real quality to win - but a failure to make any impact on the continent and season after season of false dawns in the Premier League is the real issue here. That said, Wenger is two games away from winning his 10th major honour in 21 years in North London - a record that many would kill for.
DID YOU KNOW? This is Arsenal's 29th appearance at this stage of the FA Cup - the most of any team. The Gunners have lifted the trophy 12 times, which is a joint-record along with Manchester United, while Manchester City have a decent record after progressing from each of their last eight semi-final appearances. The most recent of those was against Chelsea in 2013, with their last defeat coming way back in 1932 against, ironically enough, today's opponents.
Arsenal head into their 29th FA Cup semi-final appearance on the back of supporter unrest, with uncertainty continuing to mount over the future of long-serving boss Arsene Wenger. The Gunners are seven points adrift of a Champions League spot in seventh and are now essentially relying on this competition to ensure that the season ends on somewhat of a high - much like in two of the previous three campaigns.
It is worth mentioning that Arsenal are unbeaten at the new Wembley in their last six appearances here, beating Wigan Athletic on penalties in the only draw in normal time, having lost their first two matches. This will be a major task for them this afternoon, however, as they take on a Man City side themselves looking to keep their campaign alive. Things have not gone fully to plan for Guardiola thus far, but he still has time to change all that.
Unlike with their opponents, their remains plenty of optimism as far as City supporters are concerned ahead of a busy summer of recruitment. Guardiola has battled on with a squad that he has not been entirely happy with, while also having to deal with that injury blow to Gabriel Jesus earlier this year, and will be backed heavily in the off-season to bring in a few more star names. A clearout is expected, as six players are due to see their contracts expire.
Finishing in third is still achievable for the Citizens, who trail Liverpool by just two points with a game in hand to play, and combined with some silverware that would not be the worst introduction to English football for Guardiola. The Catalan coach will be under far more pressure to impress next time around, of course, particularly on the European stage following the limp display in their last-16 defeat to AS Monaco last month. The owners are not happy, but if anyone can bring success then surely it is the ex-Barcelona and Bayern boss.
City are at least back on track in the league thanks to successive wins, including one of their finest all-round displays to convincingly see off Southampton last time out, but they now have to prepare for a mammoth clash with Man United next Thursday - a game that could well decide their top-four fate, depending on how the Red Devils get on at Burnley elsewhere today. Plenty left to play for, then, so the Citizens will be desperate to kick off a pivotal week in style.
Guardiola has good memories at Wembley, both in its current and former guise, after lifting the European Cup here as both a player and a coach. The Catalan went all the way on the continent when playing for Barcelona in 1992, beating Sampdoria in the final, while doing likewise when stood on the touchline with arguably club football's greatest ever side in 2011. The former Bayern chief certainly boasts proven pedigree, yet defeat today and many will no doubt be quick to shove the knife in.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Three of the last six meetings between these two sides have finished 2-2, including the league fixture just a few weeks back at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have won two of the others during that time, with Manchester City only coming out on top once in the last eight overall, though that did come earlier this season when Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling netted in a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
With kickoff at Wembley Stadium now a little over five minutes away, it is a good time to check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Arsene Wenger: "It's an opportunity to win a trophy this season. What I expect when you go into a semi-final is to go to the final. It is a special experience and, for us, I think we are focused, highly motivated. Maybe not at the maximum of our confidence because we had recently some disappointing results, but that is a good opportunity to show we are ready for a fight and how much we want to go to the final."
Pep Guardiola: "I don't think [the owners] will be happy. The expectations of the club are as high as possible and are to win the titles that are on the table. So if they are not happy I can completely understand. And we could have done better in terms of the results and even in the way we played because we wanted to be in the race for the title and in the Champions League until the end."
Wenger claims that his players are "highly motivated" heading into this second semi-final of the weekend, albeit with their confidence a little low. The win over Boro six days ago will have helped with that slightly, but it remains to be see how this 3-5-2 system will work against the Citizens today. Guardiola, on the other hand, admitted on the eve of this crucial clash that the pressure is on to keep the club's ambitious owners happy.
Manchester City have had the more difficult run to this stage, overcoming three Premier League teams compared to Arsenal's one, although the Gunners did thrash Southampton 5-0 in that fifth-round outing. Throw a couple of non-league sides into the mix and it is fair to say that this is their toughest test yet, with the reward at the end of it a meeting with Chelsea in next month's final here. Kickoff at Wembley is now just a matter of moments away!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gunners ace 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.
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.
Belgian playmaker 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.
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 a minute or so beforehand.
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 crossing position.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 - rather than three - due to the nature of City's attacking runs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
HALF TIME: ARSENAL 0-0 MANCHESTER CITY
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.
It was the officials who were more involved in the action in a goalless first half, being made to run the rule over a number of contentious decisions. The first of those calls saw Gabriel Paulista somehow avoid a caution for a strong challenge on David Silva, which led to the Spaniard limping off the field before the opening quarter was over.
Both sides managed just one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, coming in the space of 60 seconds as Olivier Giroud aimed a header straight at Claudio Bravo at one end and Silva denied by Petr Cech at the other - his last involvement in the match. Sergio Aguero blasted into the side-netting from his only real sight of goal, but he felt that he should have been awarded a penalty on the half-hour mark when his heels were clipped by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Arsenal had a strong shout of their own turned down in the dying embers of the half, with Jesus Navas focusing more on dragging Alexis Sanchez to the ground than winning the ball, yet it was City who were more aggrieved to go into the break all square. The Citizens saw far more of the ball in dangerous areas against an Arsenal side continuing its three-at-the-back experiment, and they should have been rewarded through substitute Raheem Sterling's close-range finish.
Leroy Sane's cross was turned goalwards by Aguero at the back post, only for Cech to parry into the path of Sterling who was waiting to pounce a few yards out, but the officials felt that Sane's cross had initially gone out of play - replays suggesting otherwise. Plenty of debate at the break, then, and a chance for both managers to perhaps tinker with their sides at the midway point.
ARSENAL SUBS: Martinez, Bellerin, Gibbs, Coquelin, Walcott, Welbeck, Iwobi
MANCHESTER CITY: Caballero, Zabaleta, Fernando, Kolarov, Delph, Iheanacho
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.
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.
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.
CLOSE! 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.
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.
Bravo slips and Sanchez is so nearly in, but the Chilean recovers well and kept his cool to play the ball out. The City stopper then got to the ball first to collect, easing the growing pressure that is beginning to build on his side.
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.
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.
GOAL! ARSENAL 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
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.
CLOSE! Man City looking vulnerable after going ahead, with Mesut 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.
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.
GOAL! ARSENAL 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY (NACHO MONREAL)
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
FULL TIME: ARSENAL 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY (EXTRA TIME TO FOLLOW)
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.
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.
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.
A 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.
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.
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.
GOAL! ARSENAL 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY (ALEXIS SANCHEZ)
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.
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 the ground.
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.
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.
HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME: ARSENAL 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY
Guardiola shouting out his instructions, knowing that his side require a goal in these final 15 minutes or else they are left battling for a top-four spot and nothing else this season. Four changes allowed in extra time, remember, so it will be interesting to see what changes are made - if any!
RESTART! Man City, requiring a goal in the remaining 15 minutes, bring on Iheanacho for Sterling during the mini break in play. Arsenal now need to hold out, with a meeting against Chelsea in sight.
Iheanacho so nearly through on goal, but he could not quite bring the ball under control. A different story had it fallen to Aguero, as the Nigerian youngster has barely had a chance to settle into the contest.
City win a free kick in a promising position, and Toure is the man who is stood over the ball waiting to take it in. Straight into the jumping wall, however, and those Arsenal fans can breathe once again. Incredibly tense at Wembley!
CLOSE! The City end of Wembley jump up in jubilation as Delph's side-footed shot looked to find the bottom corner. A touch off Bellerin instead took it into the side-netting - another let-off for Arsenal in extra time.
CLOSE! Not quite sure how Arsenal fans are coping at the moment, as De Bruyne fizzes a shot right across Cech's goal. A decent attempt from the Belgian, but with six minutes to go that will surely be one of their last chances.
Into the dying embers of the contest now at Wembley and Arsenal are doing well to remain strong at the back. Toure works a shooting position right on the edge of the box, but his right-footed attempt ended wide of the target.
ARSENAL SUB! Coquelin is brought on for Ozil with two minutes of extra time to play. Wenger happy for his side to sit back now and soak up all the pressure, with another final appearance within touching distance.
FULL TIME: ARSENAL 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY, AET
ARSENAL THROUGH TO THE FA CUP FINAL!
Arsenal will be returning to Wembley Stadium in five weeks' time to face off against London rivals - and Premier League pacesetters - Chelsea. That will be a real blockbuster, and if both semi-finals are anything to go by then we can expect plenty of drama in that one. Alexis Sanchez proved the hero on the day for the Gunners, prodding home 101 minutes into the game to crush Manchester City's hopes of landing silverware.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events in the English capital. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from Wembley Stadium will follow elsewhere on the site shortly. Thanks for joining!
