Royals defender looking forward to the test against the Gunners.
Despite have lost all 13 of their previous games with Arsenal, Liam Moore has said that Reading should be embracing the challenge, not worrying about what may lie in wait for them. In an article published on the Get Reading website, Moore said that he is really looking forward to the experience.
“It’s a game that I look at and think is a good test. Obviously Arsenal are well known for their attractive football, but we play quite attractive football as well so it will be really good to test ourselves against them,” he said.
Reading have reached the fourth round by beating a team in each of the EFL divisions, starting with a 2-0 win against League Two team Plymouth Argyle in round one. They followed that with a 4-2 win on penalties (2-2 after 120 minutes) against League One side MK Dons and their third round victory was their most impressive, a 2-1 away win against fellow Championship team Brighton.
Moore, who has made a solid start to his Royals career since moving from Leicester City in August, said that fear should not be an emotion that his teammates should be feeling ahead of the clash.
“Do we fear Arsenal?,” he asked. “No I don’t think you should fear anybody. They are 11 humans on a pitch, albeit with some serious quality. The game will be a great night for us and will be equally special for the fans.”
The last time the teams met was in April of last year in the semi-final of the FA Cup. The Royals forced the game into extra time through a Garath McCleary goal, only for Alexis Sanchez to score the winner.
Arsene Wenger is expected to make a number of changes to the Arsenal team that drew 0-0 with Middlesbrough on Saturday, giving Reading some hope of causing a upset.
They gained some much needed confidence by winning for the first time in five games against Rotherham on Saturday, and if the words of Moore are anything to go by they seem to be motivated for the big challenge ahead.
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