Arsenal reaches FA Cup finals for first time in nine years

Johannesburg: Arsenal has defeated defending FA Cup champions Wigan Athletic 4-2 in a penalty shootout at Wembley on Saturday to reach the final of the tournament for the first time in nine years.

Victory took Arsene Wenger's team into their first FA Cup final since 2005, when they last won a trophy, and helped ease the pain of being knocked out of the Premier League's top four by Everton earlier in the day.

According to Sport24, Wigan looked set for another famous Wembley day when Jordi Gomez put them ahead with a 63rd-minute penalty, although Per Mertesacker made amends for conceding the penalty by heading in an 82nd-minute equaliser.

With the score still 1-1 at the end of extra time, Lukasz Fabianski took centre stage in the shootout and saved Wigan's two first attempts, from Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison, before Santi Cazorla dispatched the decisive spot-kick to send Arsenal through.

Arsenal would play the winners of Sunday's second semi-final between Hull City and third-tier Sheffield United, the report added.