Arsenal – Chelsea

Afternoon all. Thanks for joining us for our live commentary on the first of this weekend's FA Cup semi-finals.

Both teams are on the pitch, and both captains present bouquets of flowers to relatives of victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

Arsenal look as though they will be playing with Denilson and Diaby sitting just in front of their defence as the North Londoners seek to shore up their defence. Chelsea will employ a similar formation, with Essien and Ballack performing a similar role.

And away we go, and immediately Walcott looks to burst forward from midfield.

Ivanovic stumbles over the ball in defence. Nervous start from the Serb there.

Arsenal having the better of the opening exchanges, and they nearly break through the Chelsea back line, but the ball runs away from Adebayor.

Fabianski has a nightmare! He totally misjudges a high ball, and Drogba plays it towards goal, but Gibbs races back to clear off the line.

Real let-off for Arsenal, that one.

Walcott races away down the right, but Terry gets enough of a foot on it to win the ball back.

The pitch seems to be cutting up very easily, leaving a lot of divots in the playing surface.

Arsenal playing a bit of keep-ball at the back, then try to break quickly, but Ballack makes a crunching tackle to clear.

Alex launches the ball towards Anelka, but the ball runs out, and Gibbs throws in.

Chelsea applying some pressure now, and they play the ball neatly around the Arsenal box.

Essien is fouled by Diaby, and Chelsea win a free kick 35 yards out. Could it be an Alex special?

It is Alex, but it's a daisy cutter, and the ball is easily cleared.

Kolo Toure crunches into Ashley Cole and the ref has a word. Yellow next time, I should imagine.

Lampard swings it in, but the ref spots and infringement, and it's Arsenal to clear.

Frank Lampard is looking to spray the ball long to Anelka and Drogba, but having little success with this ploy so far.

Van Persie is caught by Ivanovic, and Arsenal have a free kick just inside Chelsea's half. Toure sends a long ball into the area, and Adebayor knocks it down dangerously, but there's no-one on the end of it.

Arsenal looking more menacing now, and Walcott wins a free kick wide on the right. Van Persie to launch it in, it looks like.

Very poor. He doesn't get any height on the cross and it's easily cleared.

Denilson gives the ball away with a sloppy pass in midfield and Ballack pounces. He drives on, and slides it left to Drogba, but he can't quite get his shot away.

Arsenal push and probe up the right, but it comes to nothing.

GOAL! Arsenal take the lead through Theo Walcott.

Kieron Gibbs flights the ball in from the left, and Walcott volleys in from 8 yards. It struck Ashley Cole on the hand as well, which was probably what fooled Cech.

That was some sloppy stuff from Chelsea, and they've only got themselves to blame for that.

Here come Arsenal again, pushing up the right hand side, but Chelsea seem to have woken up a bit, and are now paying attention to their opponents.

Ballack wins a free kick and Chelsea push forward up the right to win a throw.

Lovely move from Chelsea. Frank Lampard strokes it up the left channel, and Essien and Drogba combine to flash the ball across the face of goal. Another close call for Arsenal and Fabianski, who has looked shaky.

Chelsea race away up the left again, and stretch Arsenal again, but Drogba can't keep it in play this time.

Ballack hoofs it forward straight to Fabianski.

Diaby pushes up and into the area, squares to Van Persie, but the Dutchman can't get a shot away, and it squirms up and into Cech's hands.

Arsenal break through Eboue, but Essien dives in to make the challenge.

Lampard plays a slide-rule pass through the middle to Drogba, and from the edge of the area the Ivorian looks to loop it into the top corner, but it's over the bar.

Arsenal pressure the Chelsea defence up the right side, but lose control and bereak through Essien.

Arsenal win it back, and Adebayor tries to play in Van Persie, but it's blocked by Alex.

Walcott is called offside,and receives a long ball and is through on Cech. Replay clearly shows him to be a good two yards onside, though. Very poor decision.

Bit of a let-off for Chelsea, that one.

Ashley Cole wants a foul as he falls over on the left - nothing doing, says the referee. (And the 30,000 Gooners in the stadium.)

Kieron Gibbs robs Ivanovic on the left and races away down the left, where he wins a free kick.

Walcott lofts the ball into the danger zone, but there's no-one on the end of it.

Oh dear, Emmanuel Eboue. Florent Malouda catches the Arsenal defender napping and cuts inside him to fire home inside Fabianski's near post.

All Eboue's fault, that one. Not a lot Fabianski could have done about that.

Ashley Cole is hauled back by Theo Walcott on the edge of the Arsenal area, and Drogba lines up the free kick.

But the free kick is pretty tame, and easily cleared.

Lampard lofts in a neat cross, but it hits Anelka on the back.

Silvestre heads back to Fabianski, and Drogba, lurking, attempts to pounce, but he can't quite reach the ball.

Anelka fires against the Arsenal post!

Bit of a let-off for Arsenal there, as Diaby is robbed in his own area, and Anelka almost fired home Chelsea's second.

Chelsea have a corner. The tide well and truly with the Blues at the moment.

Ivanovic goes sliding in on Robin Van Persie with a very clumsy tackle, and receives a yellow card for his troubles.

Eboue breaks away down the right, and plays it wide to Walcott, but his cross is long and aimless, and bounces harmlessly through the Chelsea area.

Lampard is called offside as Chelsea pressure the Arsenal goal. The Gunners will be glad to see the back of this half.

Arsenal playing keepball, as they try to regain some composure.

Another poor cross from Arsenal. For a supposedly technical team, there are some very loose ball from the North London boys today.

Ballack receives a yellow card for a late tackle on Fabregas.

Messy stuff from both sides, as they struggle to retain possession.

The Chelsea front line are putting a lot of pressure on the Arsenal defence, hoping to force an error.

There will be two minutes of time added on.

Chelsea content to stroke it about in midfield.

Lampard bursts into the box on the right hand side, but can't quite find Anelka at the far post. And with that, comes the referee's whistle for half time.

Both teams are back out on the pitch, and Chelsea prepare to kick off.

There are no changes from either side.

Arsenal push forward and win a free kick 35 yards out for their troubles.

Van Persie lofts it in, but it's headed clear by Terry.

Diaby lofts it in, Alex nods it towards the edge of the area, but Adebayor gets on it and volleys goalwards, but it's over the bar.

Walcott speeds away up the right, but yet again his cross is to the invisible man in the middle. Arsenal really look like they're missing someone up front.

Lampard steals the ball in midfield and tries to feed Drogba, but Diaby gets a solid block in.

Adebayor makes a run for the near post as a cross comes in from the left, but Terry is with him all the way, and clears.

Lampard tries to sneak down the left channel, but he's flagged offside when he receives the lofted ball.

Lampard steals the ball in midfield again, and a slick moves takes Chelsea to the heart of the Arsenal box, but somehow the Gunners scramble clear.

Chelsea win a corner.

Deep towards Terry, but his header is cleared by Diaby.

All the pressure coming from Chelsea here, but now John Terry is down injured, and there is a moment's respite for Arsenal.

Terry is back on his feet, and Arsenal have the ball as it is sportingly returned.

Neat Cruyff turn from Theo Walcott, but he pushes it on just a bit too far up the right channnel and it runs out.

Great move from Arsenal! Diaby skips through a couple of challenges, plays it right to Walcott, who crosses to the far post, but Van Persie can't quite reach it.

Arsenal looking like they have a little more fire in their bellies over the last 10 minutes.

Drogba chases down a bouncing ball on its way to Fabianski, but is successfully blocked off by Eboue.

Should that have been a penalty to Arsenal??? They have a corner, but Fabregas was shunted to the ground pretty violently by Malouda, who makes diving motions at the Arsenal man.

Corner flighted in, but easily cleared.

Walcott is pulled back by Ashley Cole, and Arsenal win a free kick 30 yards out. Cole lucky not to see yellow there, perhaps.

Van Persie lofts it in, but it comes to nothing.

Walcott races away down the right after a cock-up from John Terry. He crosses for Diaby, but the cross is somehow cleared.

Malouda crosses from wide, and Anelka leaps at the far post, but can't get a good connection.

Fabulous move by Chelsea! Lampard slides it wide to Drogba, who immediately crosses back for Lampard, who volleys wide. Excellent stuff from the boys in blue there.

Anelka makes a nice tackle at right back. There's something you don't see every day.

A clutch of fouls by Arsenal in midfield finally force the ref to blow.

Essien crunches Diaby from behind and gives away a free kickb in ther Arsenal half.

Arsenal move the ball up as they probe the Chelsea deffence.

Arsene Wenger none too happy as Adebayor claws down Drogba in the Chelsea area.

Malouda finds space in the left channel and crosses for Drogba, but it's cut out.

Yellow for a foul by Denilson, who lays his hands on the referee as he complains, and he can perhaps count himself lucky that's all he sees.

Chelsea launch the ball straight into the wall from the free kick, and it's cleared to Walcott, who hares away, but can't beat three Chelsea defenders.

Arshavin is being readied. Looks like Van Persie who is coming off.

Fabregas tries to juggle the ball through at speed, but is penalised for fouling Terry in the process. By which he is quite outraged.

Chelsea pushing hard up the right now, as they look to settle things without extra time.

Eboue fluffs a clearance and Drogba picks it up and drives into the six-yard box, but just loses control and it runs out.

Silvestre and Drogba come together and the Arsenal man is outraged to be penalised for what was a 50-50 challenge. Lampard lofts the free kick in, but Ivanovic can't get his head to ball properly, and flicks it out.

Malouda breaks into the left channel and crosses, but a late flag pulls the action back.

And it's goodbye from Nicolas Anelka, who is replaced by Salomon Kalou.

And Adebayor stomps off the pitch, not looking too pleased, and Nicklas Bendtner replaces him.

GOAL! Didier Drogba gets on the end of a punt upfield, Silvestre can't keep up with him, and the Ivorian rounds the keeper to slot home.

Off comes Drogba's shirt in celebration, so I would imagine he will be getting a yellow for that, but he won't care.

Samir Nasri is being readied. Wenger is going to have to gamble now.

Nasri will be replacing Denilson.

Chelsea still looking hungry as anything as they hound the ball from the Arsenal players.

Arshavin picks it up on the D, but he's crowded out by Terry.

Kolo Toure is booked for chopping down his Ivory Coast teammate Didier Drogba.

Arsenal getting desperate now, but dogged defending from Chelsea keeps them at bay.

Chelsea win a free kick on the halfway line, and in absolutely no rush to take it. Three minutes will be added on at the end.

Bendtner whips it in from the right, and Arshavin chests it down to shoot, but it's blocked and out for a corner.

The corner comes in and there's a scramble, and three players go down in a heap.

Time is officially up, and Arsenal launch one last attack. They launch the ball upfield, but it's not enough and there is the final whistle, to a huge roar from the Blue half of the stadium.

Congratulations to the Blues, commiserations to the Gunners, and don't forget to join us here on Soccernet tomorrow live at 4pm for Manchester United vs Everton, to find out who will be taking that prized second berth in the final.