Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny admits he feels sorry for Adam Federici , insisting the Reading stopper was 'the best player on the pitch ' despite his costly error in Saturday 's FA Cup semi-final . Federici allowed Alexis Sanchez 's driven shot to slip through his body in extra-time as Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners at Wembley to reach their second consecutive final , having beaten Hull to lift the trophy last year . The mistake overshadowed a number of strong saves Federici had made to keep his side in the game and Szczesny had only kind words for his opposite number . Wojciech Szczesny ( left ) says he feels sorry for Adam Federici after his mistake in the FA Cup semi-final . 'He can be very proud . It only went to extra-time because the goalkeeper was magnificent , ' Szczesny told Arsenal 's official website . 'We 're very happy to go through but personally I do feel for the goalkeeper . 'It 's a difficult moment for him . He was the best player on the pitch and in his dreams last night he was probably hoping he would get them through to the final . 'He did everything to do so but got very unlucky in extra-time . The Australian let an Alexis Sanchez effort slip through his hands and sneak over the line in extra-time . 'It was a really good performance from him and he 's shown what a good keeper he is . ' Arsenal looked like they might enjoy a comfortable afternoon when Sanchez opened the scoring in the first half , but Garath McCleary 's equaliser galvanised the Championship outfit . 'You know what to expect when you play Championship sides , ' Szczesny said . Federici was inconsolable at the final whistle despite his team-mates and staff trying to help . 'They 're very solid defensively , they 're not scared to put their foot or head in and they defend very well . 'Today they did that with a great performance by their goalkeeper . It was a difficult game but we just got over the line . ' Arsenal are now just one win away from defending the crown they secured last year , with either Liverpool or Aston Villa lying in wait in the final . Szczesny was also at fault for the Reading goal when he let Gareth McCleary 's shot find a way into the net . Victory would also see the Gunners become the most successful FA Cup team of all time as they currently sit level on 11 titles with Manchester United . 'We want to win for the fans , ' Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla added . 'It 's always special to play at Wembley and we have a good opportunity to get the title . 'Now we have to wait for the other team - Liverpool or Aston Villa . '
Wojciech Szczesny feels sorry for Adam Federici after his FA Cup error . The goalkeeper let an Alexis Sanchez shot squirm into the net in extra-time . TL;DR Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 to win their first major trophy since 2004.