FA Cup draw: Arsenal to play Reading in semi-finals

Danny Welbeck scores the winner for Arsenal at Old Trafford

Holders Arsenal will face Reading in the FA Cup semi-finals after beating Manchester United in the last eight.

Aston Villa will meet Liverpool or Blackburn in the other semi-final.

Championship side Reading overcame League One Bradford with a 3-0 replay win after a goalless first meeting, while the date for the Blackburn-Liverpool game is to be confirmed.

The semi-final ties are to be played at Wembley on 18 and 19 April, with a place in the 30 May final up for grabs.

The Gunners will be hoping the draw against lower-league opposition can help propel them to a second successive final, having beaten Hull City 3-2 for an 11th FA Cup triumph last May.

In Reading, they face a side currently 17th in the Championship with a 10-point cushion to the relegation zone.

Their manager Steve Clarke told BBC Sport: "It's a long time since we've been in the semi-finals as a club, but before that we've got some important games in the league. We need to get some points.

"It's another big pay-day for a club that's been struggling financially for a couple of years, and it's a nice thing for the new owners who've just come in."

Full draw:

Reading v Arsenal

Aston Villa v Liverpool/Blackburn