'Defending our FA Cup will be a massive step for us,' says Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker

Gunners are strong favourites to beat Reading in Saturday's semi-final

Enjoying victory over City with David Ospina (Getty Images)

Per Mertesacker believes retaining the FA Cup will take Arsenal to the next level and urged his team-mates not to let anyone down against Reading tomorrow.

The Gunners are strong favourites to reach their second consecutive FA Cup Final - and their seventh under manager Arsene Wenger - by defeating their Championship opponents who have won just two of their last 12 games.

By contrast, Arsenal have won 16 out of 18 matches in all competitions and have only Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta unavailable and Mertesacker believes defending their first trophy in nine years could be the gateway to further success.

Steve Clarke's Reading have won just two of their last 12 (Getty Images)

“The FA Cup was a very historical title but to repeat that is a massive step for us as well,” he told the Evening Standard. “To take it game by game and not exaggerate it by thinking too much about that defence is the key and is very important.

“To go on or to be consistent - that is a tough target but we push ourselves. We want to be able to defend a title and be able to compete at the top which makes us at the moment a good team. We haven’t showed that consistently this season because all of a sudden we lost one game [in the Champions League to Monaco] and in a cup competition you cannot afford that.

“Even in the Premier League, if you lose four games, you cannot win the title. So that is something we really try to push ourselves to the next level. That doesn’t mean winning another title in nine years’ time. But I feel that we are really sharp and eager to repeat it. We have the chance to do it because we did well before and that is something I want to build on.

“It is weird but it is really good, the competition for places we have got at the moment. It is really something that lifts everyone at the club. The manager has the selection now and he is the one who decides but now it is down to the players to respect that as well.

“Obviously there are going to be a few disappointing situations for players but to respect that and to lift the team - that is the target now for us as a group of players. Not to let anyone down, if someone is not in the squad. That is really something we have to deal with.”

Wenger has several selection decisions to make with the desire to include fringe players balanced against the unwillingness to change a team that has won eight consecutive matches.

Mertesacker insists, however, that run will count for little against Steve Clarke’s side with both teams just 90 minutes from the final.

“It is good to have a run,” he said. “We had some setbacks in the start of January and February. After that we managed our situation well, by just focusing on ourselves and managing ourselves, just what was ahead of us, if we want to be a title contender we just have to be consistent.

“But tomorrow is another competition. We are on a good level of confidence, but there will be pressure on us because we are super favourites and can we handle that during the game?

“We suffered a bit last season on that occasion with that pressure, but it was a great experience and hopefully we can manage that a bit better.”