Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker says a successful defence of their FA Cup will take the team to a new level.
Mertesacker urged his team-mates not to let anyone down against Reading in their semifinal.
"The FA Cup was a very historical title but to repeat that is a massive step for us as well," he said. "To take it game by game and not exaggerate it by thinking too much about that defence is the key and is very important.
"To go on or to be consistent - that is a tough target but we push ourselves. We want to be able to defend a title and be able to compete at the top which makes us at the moment a good team. We haven't showed that consistently this season because all of a sudden we lost one game [in the Champions League to Monaco] and in a cup competition you cannot afford that.
"Even in the Premier League, if you lose four games, you cannot win the title. So that is something we really try to push ourselves to the next level. That doesn't mean winning another title in nine years' time. But I feel that we are really sharp and eager to repeat it. We have the chance to do it because we did well before and that is something I want to build on."
