Arsenal came back from being 0-4 goals down to defeat Reading 7 goals to 5 in their round of 16 League Cup / Capital One Cup match. Arsene Wenger conceded Arsenal had been heading for humiliation before a Theo Walcott hat-trick and two Marouane Chamakh goals took them into the last eight. Arsenal found themselves 4-0 down after 35 minutes having been out-fought and out-thought during the opening exchanges at the Madejski Stadium. But crucially Theo Walcott reduced the deficit just before half-time to set up the platform for an incredible second half revival that took thm game into extra time. Marouane Chamakh put Arsenal in front for the first time on the night with a goal in the first period of extra time only for Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak to make it 5-5. But Walcott restored Arsenal’s lead before Chamakh scored Arsenal’s seventh.
- Reading are the first ever team in the either the League Cup or FA Cup to score five goals and lose the game.
- It is not the first time Reading have been beaten 7-5. The Royals, despite four goals from Kerry Dixon, lost by the same scoreline at Third Division opponents Doncaster Rovers in September 1982.
- Reading versus Arsenal was the first League Cup game to be 4-4 at 90 minutes since Port Vale verses Chester in August 1999.
- Reading have faced Arsenal on 10 occasions in all competitions and have lost every one of them.