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Arsenal reaches FA Cup final thanks to shocking goalkeeper blunder

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: Adam Federici of Reading stretches for the ball as he fails to stop a shot by Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal for their second goal during the FA Cup Semi Final between Arsenal and Reading at Wembley Stadium on April 18, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Arsenal punched this season’s first FA Cup final ticket thanks to the last man on the pitch you’d expect to make a mistake.

Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici shockingly mishandled a tame shot from Alexis Sanchez in extra time, and the goal broke a deadlock to give the Gunners a 2-1 win at Wembley and see Reading out of the competition in cruel fashion.

Federici made seven saves on the afternoon, including an alert denial of a Per Mertesacker header early, and he was arguably the Championship side’s most valuable player to that point. Then in stoppage time, this happened:

Federici has been Reading’s first-choice keeper since he emerged from a series of loan spells in 2008 after his first three years with the club. The Australian international has even been linked with a move to rising Premier League club Southampton in recent weeks.

It remains to be seen if his gigantic mistake affects further interest in the transfer market, but it does give Arsenal a shot at its second straight FA Cup crown on May 30 against either Liverpool or Aston Villa.

Arsenal took the lead late in the first half when Sanchez finally cracked Reading’s organized defense, taking control of the ball in the box and beating Federici low. The Royals drew level early in the second half when Garath McCleary’s sliding shot skipped above Wojciech Szczesny and easily crossed the line before the Arsenal keeper could carry it back into the field of play.

Reading, which featured American Danny Williams at defensive midfielder, mounted a stiff challenge for the Gunners, and their fans had to be a bit wary given the club’s cup exits in recent years. For all the criticism Arsenal has gotten for its failures against big clubs, it’s also lost to relegation-bound Birmingham City in the 2011 League Cup final, League 2 side Bradford City in the 2012 League Cup quarterfinals, and Championship side Blackburn in the 2013 FA Cup fifth round.

There won’t be a repeat this year. Instead, it’s Reading who suffered the heartbreak.