And then there were four.
This weekend’s FA Cup semifinals will determine which two teams will advance to the final of English club soccer’s oldest and most prestigious cup competition on May 25.
Manchester City clashes with Chelsea on Saturday (12:15 p.m. ET), while Coventry City goes up against Manchester United on Sunday (10:30 a.m. ET). Both games will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium, which also hosts the final.
A Manchester Derby appears to be on the cards for this year’s FA Cup final, but don’t rule out Coventry City and Chelsea preventing that from happening.
Here’s what you need to know about the FA Cup semifinals.
The format
Both semifinals are single elimination, and not two-legged, home-and-away affairs.
If the games are tied after 90 minutes of regulation, they will go to extra time and penalty kicks (if necessary) to determine who moves on. Similar to the previous two rounds, there are no replays in the semifinals.
MANCHESTER CITY vs. CHELSEA
Setting the stage for Saturday
Manchester City currently tops the Premier League table with 71 points – eight spots and 26 points above Chelsea. Manchester City was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League this week by Real Madrid but remains on course to repeat as Premier League winners and FA Cup champions.
Chelsea has struggled for most of the 2023-24 campaign. Barring an amazing run of form in the Premier League between now and the end of the campaign, the Blues won’t qualify for European competition next season and look doomed to finish mid-table. The FA Cup is the last chance for manager Mauricio Pochettino’s side to win some silverware in a vain attempt to salvage a disastrous season.
How they arrived at the semifinals
Manchester City blanked Huddersfield Town of the Championship (second division) 5-0 in the third round, before edging Premier League counterparts Tottenham 1-0 in the fourth round. The Premier League’s Luton Town was disposed of in a 6-2 win in the fifth round and Pep Guardiola’s men followed that up with a 2-0 victory over fellow top-tier side Newcastle United in the quarter-finals.
Chelsea bested Preston North End of the Championship 4-0 in the third round, needed a replay to defeat Aston Villa 3-1 in the fourth round, and then took care of Leeds United (3-2) and Leicester City (4-2) in the fifth round and quarter-finals.
Players to watch
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is tied for second in FA Cup scoring this season with five goals in just two appearances. Incredibly, all five of his goals came in Manchester City’s fifth-round win over Luton Town.
Cole Palmer is having a breakout season with Chelsea, as the 21-year-old midfielder has 25 goals and 13 assists in 41 games in all competitions. Last week, he scored four goals in Chelsea’s 6-0 win against Everton.
Burning questions
Can Manchester City put its midweek UEFA Champions League exit behind them and respond with a strong performance against their Premier League rivals?
Can Chelsea overcome the rash of injuries it has suffered through all season and go toe-to-toe with a Manchester City side that boasts world-class depth?
Stats to remember
Manchester City is unbeaten in its last eight matches against Chelsea (with six wins) in all competitions, but the teams played to a pair of draws in the Premier League this season that produced 10 goals between them.
Chelsea has lost five of its previous seven FA Cup meetings against Man City, including in the third round of the 2022-23 campaign.
COVENTRY CITY vs. MANCHESTER UNITED
Setting the stage for Sunday
Manchester United is seventh in the Premier League table, tied with Newcastle United and 10 points out of a European spot for next season. It’s been an up-and-down campaign for the Red Devils under Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, highlighted by their group stage exit from the UEFA Champions League, and they’re currently mired in a four-game winless skid.
Coventry City sits eighth in the standings in the Championship (second division) at the moment, eight points out of a playoff spot with four games to play. So, it looks like promotion to the Premier League for the 2024-25 season is beyond the Sky Blues’ grasp. Coventry is managed by Mark Robins, who as a player won the FA Cup with Man United in 1990.
How they arrived at the semifinals
Manchester United breezed through the first three rounds of the FA Cup by defeating third-division side Wigan Athletic 2-0 and fourth-division outfit Newport County 4-2. A 1-0 win over Premier League team Nottingham Forest in the fifth round set the stage for a marquee quarter-final showdown against Liverpool, which it won 4-3 in extra time at Old Trafford.
Coventry City started its FA Cup campaign with a bang courtesy of a 6-2 win against Oxford County (third division). It needed a replay to defeat fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in the next round. A 5-0 win over sixth-division club Maidstone United followed, before the Sky Blues upset the Premier League’s Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 in the quarter-finals.
Players to watch
Rasmus Højlund is enjoying a solid debut season for Manchester United following his transfer from Serie A’s Atalanta last summer. The Danish forward has 13 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils, including one in the FA Cup.
Former Everton striker Ellis Simms, 21, is tied as the FA Cup’s top scorer this season with five goals, including a brace in Coventry City’s upset win over Wolves in the previous round.
Burning questions
Manchester United will likely be missing six defenders for Sunday’s game due to injuries, including Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane. Can the Red Devils keep their composure at the back end with so many defensive absences?
Can Coventry City upset a Premier League team for a second consecutive time in the FA Cup in order to get back to the final for the first time in 37 years?
Stats to remember
Manchester United have won 13 of its last 15 matches (two losses) versus Coventry City in all competitions. Sunday will be their first meeting since Coventry City earned a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the Leagues Cup in 2007.
Sunday will be Coventry City’s second appearance in the semifinals. In 1987, they defeated Leeds United in the final four before beating Tottenham in the FA Cup final.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.