Per Mertesacker is confident ahead of Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final that the Gunners know what it takes to make the final.

With Arsenal strong favourites to progress, it is all set up for a massive shock with Reading looking for their first ever win against them. And what a stage it would be to get it.

“We felt [pressure] last season a lot,” the BFG told Arsenal Player.

“No one expected us to lose, for Wigan to go through and that will be the case again.

“We are more prepared but you are never perfectly prepared. There will be different situations and the team will have to grow in the match again, we will have to face the expectations and pressure.

“But with our level of confidence and with the team in good shape at the moment, I’m very confident.

“The energy is really great in the team, we have a fantastic squad and the most important thing is that feeling.”

It’s hard not to agree with him.

We’re all fragile souls and Arsenal have done that to us. We are easily frightened because we’ve seen Arsenal shoot themselves in the foot many times only for them to they blow off a leg as well.

But something seems different with this squad, like the penny has finally dropped and they realised that they can’t expect to win anything on a regular basis if they continue to do stupid things.