Reading vs Arsenal FA Cup: Are Arsene Wenger's side finally a safe bet?

With the vultures hovering, Mertesacker was compelled to act. “During the game I felt I had to do something, I had to foul someone to turn it around but obviously I didn’t want to commit that penalty,” he said.

“Afterwards we felt a lot more pressure but the team showed something special that day. We created chance after chance, couldn’t score but at the end it was really down to me to score that, to turn it around and show everyone we had a good chance of reaching the final.

“The mental side of that game was really tough and we need to repeat that to show we’re good enough. On the football side we’re good enough but sometimes you need to put in some different qualities that nobody expects from you.”

There were not many who predicted Arsenal’s current consistency. There is a genuine sense the team are evolving and a second consecutive FA Cup Final would strengthen the argument, especially if supplemented by a top-two Premier League finish.

A run of 16 wins from 18 games since their New Year’s Day defeat at Southampton has quietened discontent towards Wenger and they are overwhelming favourites to defeat a Reading side enduring a torrid season a tier below them in 18th place.

It would be disrespectful to suggest Reading were incapable of causing an upset, especially in a competition whose allure is founded on the fairytale of improbable success.

But only five Championship sides have conceded more than the 64 goals despatched past Steve Clarke’s side this season and they did not meet Premier League opposition in reaching the last four.

The Royals required two matches to see off Bradford from League One and despite a notable win at Derby, previous success at Cardiff and Huddersfield is not form to instil fear into Arsenal, especially given their present buoyancy.

The Gunners have been here before, however. They were comprehensive favourites against Monaco only to produce an alarmingly flawed first-leg performance which proved their downfall in the Champions League.

Reading are obviously more limited opposition but Arsenal’s mental approach in dealing with the weight of expectation is the same.

“The Monaco defeat was the biggest blow but after that we showed resilience and strength,” said Mertesacker. “When you do two or three mistakes in a game — as you could see in every fixture of the Champions League — Bayern Munich on Wednesday, they just lost it because they made three major mistakes and afterwards you get punished.

“We couldn’t come back so we are deservedly out of the competition. That has a learning effect. Overall, that semi-final from last season helped a lot. There was a bit of pressure as super-favourites and you could feel that in the game. There was a bit of tension, then they took the lead and it was very stressful. Obviously we need to learn from that game — and if you drop that five per cent in the game, you won’t be able to win it.

“It is going to be their biggest game of the season so to mentally prepare that is going to be difficult not just to match their physicality and mental strength but to be on the ball from the start.

“To show them respect but no fear for the pressure.

“The winning streak helps us a bit but this competition is completely different. It is the best competition I have played in because so many big teams struggle. But I don’t want to struggle. I want to repeat the success. That is my real target so let’s make sure that we are on the same level and do more than our opponent.”