Arsenal 2-0 Reading - EFL Cup fourth round: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seals easy win for Gunners

Easy stuff for the Gunners. A goal in each half for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seals their place in the fifth round of the EFL Cup.

Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Reading

Three minutes of time added on here at the Emirates. This game is very much dead, however, with Arsenal heading for their 14th win out of 14 against the Royals.

Kermorgant winds back his right foot and drills one through the wall, drawing a sharp save from Martinez. While he's hardly been busy tonight, the Arsenal goalkeeper has remained alert throughout tonight's match.

This game looked to be petering out after Arsenal's second but Reading now have a chance to jolt it back into life having won a free kick right on the edge of the box...

No hat-trick for Oxlade-Chamberlain tonight; he will be replaced by Gedion Zelalem.

Moore is shown a yellow card for the most cynical challenge you will see all night on Giroud.

Arsenal finally have their second! Rob Holding embarks on a marauding run down the right, getting down the byline and knocking the ball into Giroud. With his back to goal, he instead opts to play the ball back to Oxlade-Chamberlain. He winds up his right boot and smashes a clean strike on goal that takes a deflection off Obita on it's way to finding the back of the net.

Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Reading (Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 78)

Al Habsi to the rescue again! This time it's Iwobi who tests his reaction, hitting a thunderout left footed strike from 20 yards out.

McClearly gets the first yellow of the game for a catching the trailing legs of Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Arsenal pass up the chance for a second! Oxlade-Chamberlain drives through, waiting for Giroud to make his move ahead of him. He eventually knocks the ball forward for the Frenchman who superbly lays it back into his teammate's path, teeing up the shot from the edge of the box. Once again, however, Al Habsi is equal to it and palms the ball way. Iwobi is onto the rebound but loses his footing and the ball runs out of play.

Lucas Perez isn't able to continue after that challenge from Gravenberch and his evening is over, with Chris Willock onto replace him.

Terrific stop from Al Habsi! The Frenchman meets the free kick with a powerful header but the Reading goalkeeper is equal to it. It sparks a melee in the Reading box with Oxlade-Chamberlain forcing the ball goalward, only for Moore to nod it clear.

Gravenberch's first contribution to this match is leaving a foot in on Perez following a foul down the right wing. The Spaniard gingerly gets to his feet and the Dutch defender is lucky not to get a booking for that.

Another Reading change now with Danzell Gravenberch coming on for Watson.

Here's Arsenal's first change of the evening with Reine-Adelaide off for Olivier Giroud.

That corner is cut back to Obita's whose ball into the box misses everyone and sails out for a throw in, via slight Arsenal deflection.

Reading keep coming here with McCleary winning a corner for his side.

Martinez denies Kermorgant! It's the first real save the Arsenal goalkeeper has had to make but he responds well to catch the Reading striker's header.

Reading make the first change of the game with Harriot being replaced by Jann Kermorgant.

Big let-off for Gibbs. The full-back hesitates chasing a ball back towards his own goal and it allows Harriot to race onto the loose ball. Gibbs catches up to him and makes a vital interception just as the Reading forward slides a ball across to a teammate.

Oxlade-Chamberlain denied a second! Perez lays the ball off for the onrushing Arsenal winger who tries to turn Blackett inside out, but the former Manchester United man sticks to his task well and deflects the ball wide for a corner.

And Arsenal get us back underway for the second half. No changes from either side yet.

Half-time: Arsenal 1-0 Reading

Two minutes of time added on in this half.

Harriot receives the ball on the edge of the D and takes the shot on straight away. His effort takes a wicked deflection of Gabriel and just about evades the cross bar, dropping onto the roof of the net. It's the closest Reading have come.

This man has been superb for the Gunners so far tonight.

Arsenal finally have their lead! Reading try to be a little over-elaborate in bringing the ball out from the back and Oxlade-Chamberlain pounces on a loose ball. He drives in from the right, opening up a yard of space between Obita and Moore and drills the ball into the far corner.

Goal! Arsenal 1-0 Reading (Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 34)

Elsewhere this evening, Aleksandar Mitrovic has given Newcastle United the lead over Preston, who have also been reduced to 10 men after just 25 minutes with Alan Browne seeing red. Daniel Sturridge meanwhile has given Liverpool a 1-0 lead over Tottenham.

More crisp stuff from Arsenal as Perez shifts the ball out wide to Jenkinson, who feeds Elneny as he breaks into the box in front of him. A pass across goal may have been the better option, but the Egyptian instead opts to shoot for the near post and sees his effort saved.

Reading now scamper forward on the break with McCleary latching onto Kelly's pass. He drives at Holding dangerously but a moment of indecision allows the Arsenal defender to slide across and make an excellently-timed challenge.

Oh Perez. The Spaniard is freed one on one but instead of shooting, opts to prod the ball onto Iwobi on his left, allowing Liam Kelly to scamper back and clear the ball.

A chance for Reading out of nowhere. van den Berg makes his way into the box and chests a cross down for Obita. With Oxlade-Chamberlain sleeping, the Reading youngster darts in and shoots for the near corner, but Martinez makes a relatively easy save.

This is too easy for Arsenal at the moment. Oxlade-Chamberlain again drives forward down the right and and easily scampers over van den Berg. As he reaches the byline, he swings a cross is that is nodded back to Maitland-Niles on the edge of the D. He has time and space to set himself and try guide one into the far corner but he sends his effort just wide of the goal.

Iwobi and Reine-Adelaide combine brilliantly on the edge of the box before the latter prods the ball through for Perez. It's almost perfect but the move breaks down just at the vital moment.

Suddenly McCleary has acres of space to run into down the right and hooks a ball across goal for Harriot. He can't quite take the ball under control however and Gabriel is able to knock the ball clear from him.

Reading piece together their first meaningful move that sees Harriott taken out by Gabriel. They completely waste the resulting free kick however and Elneny can comfortably clear.

Arsenal are looking very slick here. Iwobi, again at the heart of the move, almost picks out Perez with a through ball but Al Habsi rushes out to clear. Moments later, Oxlade-Chamberlain scampers free down the right and arrows a ball across goal but there is no one there to tap it home.

Jenkinson denied a dream return! Oxlade-Chamberlain cuts in from the right and slides the ball into Iwobi who knocks it back to the onrushing Jenkinson with a sublime flick. He has the goal at his mercy but drives his shot straight at Al Habsi. The rebound also falls to him but his looping header is well over.

Tennai Watson sweeps a hopeful ball forward for Harriott to chase, having crept in between the two Arsenal centre halves. The offside flag is up, but Martinez is out of his goal promptly to clear the danger anyway.

And Arsenal get us underway at the Emirates.

Aside from this fixture at the Emirates, there are five EFL fourth round ties taking place tonight. You can follow Liverpool's clash with Tottenham Hotspur right here and we will be bringing you goals from the other three as they go on.

Bristol City vs Hull City
Leeds vs Norwich City
Newcastle United vs Preston

Arsenal vs Reading isn't a fixture exactly steeped in history, but the last meeting between these two sides in this competition was one to remember. Reading to a 4-1 lead at half-time in their clash at the Madejski Stadium, only for Arsenal to fight back with goals from Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott in the final two minutes of the contest forcing extra-time.

Marouane Chamakh scored in extra-time before Pavel Pogrebnyak levelled the contest once again. Chamakh and Walcott popped up with another goal each to seal victory on a pretty extraordinary night.

Arsene Wenger had been hopeful Santi Cazorla would be back in contention for tonight's game. The Spaniard suffered an achilles problem in the 6-0 thrashing of Ludogorets. Wenger told reporters following the goalless draw with Middlesbrough:

Cazorla - I don't really know because we have to see how he recovers on Monday and Giroud could be in the squad on Tuesday night. We have a game on Tuesday night here, so maybe he will be available to be in the squad on Tuesday.

Lucas Perez has found starting opportunities hard to come by since his arrival from Deportivo, mainly down to the fine form of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott. He took his chances after coming off the bench against Ludogorets in last Wednesday's Champions League clash, providing Mesut Ozil with two assists on the night. Speaking to IBTimes UK after that impressive cameo, he said:

The coach told me to be quiet because he trusts in me. He says that he has been following me for a long time and that he likes me so I have to be patient. He said that opportunities will come and today he has proved it. He is a good guy and is always there to help us.

"When I came to Arsenal I knew where I was coming. I know there are great players here. I have to wait for the opportunity. Everyone wants to play, but the important thing is the team and we have won seven games in a row."

Just the nine changes from Arsene Wenger tonight. Alex Iwobi and Mohamed Elneny are the only two to be kept in the side after the goalless draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday. It's a new back four with Carl Jenkinson starting his first game this season with Rob Holding partnering Gabriel at centre-half. Reine-Adelaide and Reine-Adelaide are back in after impressing in the 4-0 2in over Nottingham Forest in the third round. Olivier Giroud is the old man on a bench full of youngsters.

For the visitors, there are four academy graduates in Liam Kelly, Tennai Watson, Dominic Samuel and Jordan Obita are in the Reading starting XI this evening.

Reading team to face Arsenal: Al-Habsi (c), Watson, Obita, L.Moore, Blackett, Kelly, Van den Berg, Evans, McCleary, Harriott, Samuel.

Subs: S.Moore, Swift, Wieser, Kermorgant, Meite, Quinn, Gravenberch.

Arsenal team to take on Reading: Martinez, Jenkinson, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi, Lucas

Subs: Macey, Bola, Bielik, Sheaf, Zelalem, Willock, Giroud

BREAKING: Lucas Perez is preferred to Olivier Giroud to lead the Gunners' attack this evening. As expected, Jeffrey Reine-Adelaide and Ainsley Maitland-Niles come into the starting XI, while Carl Jenkinson makes his first start of the season at right-back.

Olivier Giroud is fit once again after undergoing a "second pre-season", as his manager put it. But will Arsene Wenger instead opt for Lucas Perez to lead the line tonight?

This man is also back in north London tonight. Jaap Stam had some bruising clashes at Highbury as a Manchester United player, tonight, he'll be trying to find a way to contain Arsene Wenger's side from the dugout.

Rob Holding is also expected to come back into the starting XI this evening, with Arsene Wenger likely to name a similar team to the one that cruised to victory against Nottingham Forest in the third round.

It will be a similar squad to against Nottingham Forest. We will have Gabriel, Holding, Jenkinson will be back and will play. Jeff Reine-Adelaide will play, otherwise I think Iwobi, Lucas, Oxlade-Chamberlain will also play. Gibbs – who captained the team at Forest – will do it again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have no fresh injuries ahead of kick-off but tonight's game is still too soon for Aaron Ramsey. The Wales international has not featured since the opening day of the season when he picked up a hamstring injury against Liverpool.

Team news: Arsenal

Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey remain sidelined for the Gunners this evening but both Olivier Giroud and Carl Jenkinson are in contention to make their first starting appearances of the season tonight. Arsene Wenger also confirmed on Monday Jeff Reine-Adelaide will start, as he did against Nottingham Forest in the third round.