FA Cup: Arsenal 2-1 Hull City

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal are through to the FA Cup semi-finals after beating Hull City 2-1 at the Emirates stadium.

A controversial late goal from former captain William Gallas secured Arsenal a dramatic win over Hull at the Emirates Stadium to secure a Wembley date with Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Arsenal also go into Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw knowing qualification for next season's elite European competition is back in their own hands after wrestling fourth place in the table away from a faltering Aston Villa .

When the Gunners last played a major final under the Twin Towers, winning the FA Cup in 1998 and then the following season's Charity Shield, Arsenal were a much different proposition - led by midfielder enforcer and captain Patrick Vieira, soon to be inspired by the genius of Thierry Henry.

Now, though, is the turn of Wenger's new generation to repay their manager's faith that they have the talent to deliver silverware once again.

Arsenal were captained by Robin van Persie, the club's leading scorer this season with 16, who typifies everything this Arsenal side stands for and it was his goal which started the fightback late in the second half before Gallas nodded the dramatic winner despite being a yard offside.

Hull, though, had clearly not read the script as they snatched the lead on 13 minutes when an angled shot from Nick Barmby - who later had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside decision - saw his shot deflect off Johan Djourou and spin over Lukasz Fabianski.

The young Polish goalkeeper - given a chance to impress in the cups ahead of regular number one Manuel Almunia - was at full stretch to tip over a free-kick from Geovanni who scored during the Tigers' league win here in September.

Arshavin's angled drive was diverted past the near post by Anthony Gardner but Hull remained dangerous with a header from Kamil Zayatte dropping on the roof of the net.

As half-time loomed, only a sliding block from Samuel Ricketts prevented Arshavin drilling in Walcott's low cross, then the Russian flashed a right-foot volley across the face of goal.

In the second half Abou Diaby's header from a corner bounced just inches the wrong side of the post, Arshavin had another close-range effort blocked, then Djourou's header was cleared off the line - with Alex Song hooking the loose ball wide.

Referee Mike Riley's patience finally wore out with Hull's time-wasting, and he cautioned goalkeeper Boaz Myhill for moving the ball at a free-kick.

Van Persie then forced the Hull keeper into a full-stretch save from his bending, 25-yard free-kick before seeing a looping header hit the top of the bar with Myhill beaten.

The equaliser came through van Persie with 16 minutes left. Substitute Nicklas Bendtner's persistence in the penalty area paid off when he stabbed the ball across to Arshavin, who pulled it back to the penalty spot for the Dutchman to score.

Bendtner had a close-range shot blocked behind by Ricketts but Arsenal won it with six minutes to go when Gallas - stripped of the captaincy by Wenger earlier in the campaign after publicly questioning the young team's battling qualities - nodded in from an offside position.

ESS