Good afternoon and welcome to The42′s live minute-by-minute coverage of Arsenal v Manchester City, the second of this year’s FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

If it’s anywhere near as good as yesterday’s cracker between Chelsea and Spurs, well, you won’t want to miss it.

Kick-off is at 3pm.

TEAM NEWS: Here’s the Arsenal XI. Olly Giroud gets the nod to lead the line.

Arsenal: Cech, Gabriel, Koscielny, Holding, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Xhaka, Monreal, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.

TEAM NEWS: And here’s Pep’s City team.

Manchester City: Bravo, Navas, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, De Bruyne, Silva, Sane, Aguero.

Beatles classic “Hey Jude” rings out around Wembley. Less than five minutes to kick-off — who are you tipping to join Chelsea in the final?

England boss Gareth Southgate is in the house.

So it’s three at the back again for Arsenal after it worked against Middlesbrough on Monday night.

For City, Gabriel Jesus doesn’t even make the bench after a week of speculation that he could be fit enough to make a surprise return.

KICK OFF: Arsenal get us underway. Please be a decent game *crosses fingers*

Fernandinho nicks the ball in midfield and plays it to de Bruyne who decides to check to make sure that Petr Cech is awake. He drills a shot towards goal but it’s well wide, and Cech had it covered anyway.

Otamendi clatters through Ozil and concedes the free. No kid gloves there today.

Cech launches a long free deep into the City half, where Giroud and Kompany get all tangled up in one another and go to ground. No free either way, and it bounces harmlessly through to Bravo.

So far, so quiet.

Just as I type that, Silva gets the ball in space in front of the Arsenal back three and tries to slide it through to Aguero. His first touch takes him away from goal, and gives Koscielny enough opportunity to put a toe on it and turn it behind for a corner.

Silva gets Gabriel with a quick turn, and the Arsenal man brings him down. Pep is furious on the sideline – he wants a yellow card – but it’s a free and nothing more.

First real chance for either side! Good play by Arsenal and Oxlade-Chamberlain gets past Sane down the right wing and hangs up a cross for Giroud. He gets it on target but it’s comfortable for Bravo.

And now one for City! This time it’s Silva who has Cech stretching, and he has to palm the Spaniard’s header over the bar. Aguero crosses towards the back post where Sane has made a good run, but Silva gets there before him and flicks the ball towards goal, forcing Cech to react.

That’s a bit more like it from both sides. Yaya Toure goes down in the box with Rob Holding the nearest Arsenal man to him. There didn’t look to be much in it.

A couple of worried faces on the City sideline as David Silva goes over to Pep Guardiola and appears to be holding his hamstring.

He certainly looks to be moving ok though as he collects the ball and runs at the Arsenal defence.

No, that’s it for Silva. He’s just looked to the line again with a grimace and a shake of the head. Raheem Sterling is warming up.

OFFSIDE! Koscielny has the ball in the City net but he’s a yard or two offside. Giroud heads the ball towards goal and Koscielny has strayed a good bit beyond the last man by the time he volleys past Bravo.

City substitution: Silva off, Sterling on. Silva had a word with referee Craig Paulson as he left the pitch, seemingly let him know that the injury is from Gabriel’s tackle on him a couple of minutes ago.

First booking of the day, and it goes to Alexis. He’s stretching for a loose ball but Fernandinho gets there first. After letting a couple of early ones go, referee Craig Pawson has had enough.

Half-chance there for Sterling. The free was only cleared to the edge of the box, and he sent it back with a nice dipping volley. Couldn’t hit the target though.

BIG PENALTY SHOUT FOR CITY! Aguero takes a tumble in the box and, with arms outstretched, can’t believe he hasn’t got a penalty. He thinks Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain clipped him from behind; I think Aguero fell over his own feet.

I’d like to see a replay though.

Good defending by Oxlade-Chamberlain who snuffs out the threat from Sane and then does enough to block his eventual cross behind for a corner. It’s been all City so far, even despite the loss of Silva, though they haven’t done a huge amount to test Cech either.

To use the technical term, Aguero’s got a knee in the arse from Koscielny there. It’s a sore one and he hobbles off holding his, eh, lower back but he should be ok to continue.

Half-chance for Aguero. Sterling plays him in, but instead of going across Cech’s goal with the shot, he fires into the side-netting on the near side.

CONTROVERSY! Oooooh, they’ll be talking about this one for a while. Raheem Sterling scores for City – but it’s been chalked off by the assistant.

De Bruyne’s pass is overhit so Sane does really well to get to the byline before it goes out and clip it back into the danger area. Cech does brilliantly to get to Aguero’s first shot — though it might well have been over the line — but Sterling hammers home the rebound to make sure.

The flag’s up though! The assistant said that Sane’s cross was out of play.

It’s veeeery close…

Here’s a better look at that. Howard Webb has had a closer look on BT and says the whole of the ball is never out of play.

City will be raging.

And more drama now as Alexis Sanchez goes down at the back post. Penalty?! No – the referee’s waved it off.

Have the officials got that one wrong again? Jesus Navas was the closest player to Sanchez and he wasn’t even looking at the ball as it was delivered. He did turn eventually but there was a bit of a tug on Sanchez.

That’s a big shout as well.

HALF TIME: Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City

Just about sums it up.

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway. Will the deadlock be broken, or are we heading for extra time and penalties?

Nice passage of play from Arsenal, and Oxlade-Chamberlain dinks a cross towards Giroud. He tries to cushion it for Ramsey, but Navas is able to get there first and concedes the corner.

Kompany is down after challenging Giroud in the air, but it looks as though he’ll be alright.

Otamendi gets up to meet De Bruyne’s corner but he heads into the ground and the ball bounces up and wide. Ramsey looked to have the danger covered anyway, even if it had been on target.

Who’d be a City fan with Claudio Bravo in goal? You’d have no nails left! He’s the coolest man in Wembley as he takes a touch and turns away from the onrushing Giroud – everyone else in the stadium is watching between their fingers.

And Bravo’s done it again – and this time he nearly slips with Sanchez in close attention. That could have been very embarrassing!

Sane tees up Sterling inside the box. He tries to be clever and take it on the outside of his boot rather than letting it roll across himself and opening up his body as you’d anticipate.  There are too many bodies between him and the goal though, and Arsenal clear.

GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City (Aguero, 62′)

CITY LEAD – and it’s an absolutely delicious finish by Sergio Aguero who punishes Arsenal on the counter.

He’s left in a foot race with Monreal and wins it. His penultimate touch is a tad heavy, and maybe it forces Petr Cech to rethink his own approach, but the finish – a delicate clip over the keeper – is sublime.

What have Arsenal got now by way of response.

There was a sniff of an Arsenal chance just before that goal, as Fernandinho nonchalantly tried to lift the ball over an Arsenal man on the edge of his own area. Nearly gave Giroud a chance — seconds later, City were in front.

Just over 20 minutes for Arsenal to save this. Can they conjure up a comeback?

GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City (Monreal, 71′)

YES, YES THEY CAN! It’s a magnificent cross from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Monreal is haring in at the back post from left full, and he volleys past Bravo!

All square – maybe we are heading for extra time after all!

De Bruyne tries to thread one to Sane but there’s no way through the Arsenal defence on this occasion. Tick tock, tick tock…

OH MY DAYS, PETR CECH – WHAT A SAVE! Yaya does brilliantly to swivel his body, and his volley is sneaking into the corner until Cech gets the top of the finger of a glove on it, pushes it on to the inside of the post, and watches it bounce clear.

Woah.

OZIL! If only he’d a bit more confidence in his right foot, Arsenal could be in front. He’s clear but dawdles as he tries to get back on his left and Clichy and Otamendi smother him.

WOODWORK AGAIN! City threaten for the second time in five minutes. It’s a thumping header from Fernandinho and it rattles the Arsenal crossbar with Cech in big trouble.

Is the breakthrough coming?

Arsenal substitution: Welbeck is on for Giroud.

Really important challenge from Gabriel who just nicked it away from Sane. He’s staying down with cramp.

WELBECK – YOU’VE GOT TO SCORE! The Arsenal sub goes for glory with the City goal at his mercy, but his attempt to curl it into the top corner doesn’t quite curl enough. If he’d pulled it back, Sanchez was all alone eight yards out and surely would have scored. Wrong decision.

There’s a split-second window where Sane has a chance to shoot and test Cech, but the Arsenal defenders surround him and slam it shut.

Will there be another chance?

Three additional minutes to be played.

Sterling crosses but Aguero is the only man in there, and it’s too high for him.

Who’s up for another half-hour of this?

FULL TIME: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City

EXTRA TIME TO BE PLAYED

EXTRA TIME: We’re back underway with no personnel changes for either side.

Could we be about to see Iheanacho for City? He looks like he’s about to get stripped on the line.

Another half-chance for Welbeck and this time, he tries to pull it back to a team-mates. City manage to clear.

OH WHAT A CHANCE! Holding has a free header from a corner, makes a perfect connection, but can’t hit the target. Arsenal should absolutely be in front here.

City double sub: Fabian Delph is on for Sergio Aguero, which seems a strange one, but it looks like Aguero is limping a bit.

Fernando comes in for Fernandinho, which means Iheanacho will have to sit tight.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City (Sanchez, 101′)

Arsenal lead – and it’s that man Sanchez! There is a bit of scramble in front of Bravo’s goal but the Chilean reacts quickest to get it under control and then fire it into the net. Bravo didn’t stand much chance.

My days, Arsenal from a goal down to 2-1 up.

City aren’t giving up without a fight. Brilliant pass from De Bruyne, Sterling tries to pull it back to Sane — but Holding gets a vital touch on it to divert the danger. Brilliant.

Fabian Delph gets a little bit handsy with Xhaka and gets booked for his trouble.

Arsenal sub: Bellerin on for Oxlade-Chamberlain. He’s been great for Arsenal today.

WELBECK AGAIN – WHAT A CHANCE! Pinpoint delivery to him at the back post but he can’t even hit the target. You’ve got to do better there.

EXTRA TIME HALF TIME: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City

SECOND HALF: Fifteen minutes for City to pull this one out of the fire.

Pep makes a little bit of history as well, bringing on Iheanacho for Sterling — a fourth sub which he is allowed to use once the game has gone to extra time.

Great stuff again from De Bruyne, and Iheanacho is nearly in, but it’s nicked off his toe.

Yaya lining up a free in a very dangerous position here…

Smashes it into the wall, and his appeals for handball and a penalty fall on deaf ears.

OOOOOOOOOOH! Delph! What a chance!

De Bruyne breaks at pace and he has Sane to the right and Delph to the left. He goes to Delph and his shot is just wide, Bellerin doing brilliantly to close him down and put him under pressure.

There were a lot of City fans inside the stadium who thought that was in as it rippled the side-netting.

Navas clips a cross into the box but there’s a sea of red there to deal with it. Six minutes left.

De Bruyne flashes another shot across the face of goal – but there was no City man trying to get a toe on it. Zips wide.

Arsenal — the fans, more than the players, to be fair — appeal for a penalty as Bellerin goes down under pressure from Clichy. It would have been very, very soft.

Another Arsenal penalty shout as Ozil goes it along and then turns away from Sane at the last minute to try to draw the foul. No dice.

Just over two left now…

Toure and Xhaka play a game of cat and mouse as the City man tries to buy a yard of space on the edge of the box. He’s able to get his shot away, but not hit the target.

Arsenal sub: Ozil off and Coquelin on.

Into the last minute of extra time. Surely there won’t be any more drama?

One additional minute to be played…

FULL TIME: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City (aet)

IT’S ALL OVER – ARSENAL ARE IN TO THE FA CUP FINAL!

Arsenal will be back here on 27 May when they’ll face Chelsea in the FA Cup Final 2017.

Wenger in?

That’s all from us after a slightly longer afternoon than planned, but we’ll have more reaction over the course of the evening.

Thanks for reading.