This season`s FA Cup semifinals are set to deliver a unique spectacle. While Manchester City, a team accustomed to silverware, remains a contender, they are joined by Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest. For these clubs, a trip to Wembley often signifies the high-stakes tension of a playoff final, rather than the traditional glory associated with the culmination of the English football season.
Crystal Palace secured their semifinal berth early, dominating Fulham away in a result that set the tone for a weekend of away team triumphs in the cup. Nottingham Forest endured a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Brighton & Hove Albion to advance.
Aston Villa enjoyed a more comfortable passage to the semifinals on Sunday, overcoming Preston North End, the last Championship team in the competition, with a decisive 3-0 win at Deepdale. The most dramatic moment came in Manchester City`s match against Bournemouth. City found themselves trailing at halftime after Evanilson scored for Bournemouth, seemingly pushing their season to the edge. However, a revitalized performance inspired by substitute Nico O`Reilly turned the game around. O`Reilly delivered a precise cross for Erling Haaland to equalize and then scored the winning goal himself, assisted by Omar Marmoush.
Semifinal Draw
- Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa
- Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City
The semifinal matches are scheduled for the weekend of April 26th and 27th.
Crystal Palace
Best FA Cup Finish: Runners-up (1990, 2016) — A positive for Palace is the absence of Manchester United in the final four, a team that has twice dashed Palace`s FA Cup dreams. Excluding the Full Members` Cup, a competition held during the ban of English clubs from European competitions, Palace is still seeking its first major cup title.
Road to the Semifinals: Eberechi Eze was the star for Crystal Palace in their 3-0 away victory against Fulham. Eze scored the opening goal and provided an assist for Ismaila Sarr shortly after. Eddie Nketiah added a third goal, marking a stylish end to their streak of five consecutive 2-0 away wins.
Fulham was the first Premier League team Palace has defeated in this FA Cup campaign, following earlier victories against Stockport, Doncaster, and Millwall.
Chances of Winning: Crystal Palace might be the most in-form team remaining in the competition, having won their last five matches in all competitions, with an impressive record of 10 wins, one draw, and two losses in 2025. Notably, they convincingly defeated Aston Villa at Selhurst Park last month, with Eze playing a key role in a game where Palace generated 4.31 expected goals.
Aston Villa
Best FA Cup Finish: Winners (1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913, 1920, 1957) — Aston Villa is a historic club in English football, but recent FA Cup success has been elusive. Since their last FA Cup win, they have only reached the final twice, losing to Chelsea in 2000 and Arsenal in 2015.
Road to the Semifinals: Despite a demanding season, Villa has progressed to the semifinals impressively. They defeated both West Ham and Tottenham 2-1 at home, with Morgan Rogers scoring in both matches. Cardiff was then overcome in the Round of 16, with Marco Asensio scoring twice.
In the sixth round, Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, was decisive, scoring his first goal for the club and converting a penalty. Jacob Ramsey added the third goal in a comfortable victory.
Chances of Winning: Unai Emery`s squad boasts impressive depth, particularly in attacking positions. This depth is crucial as they compete on multiple fronts, including a Champions League quarterfinal campaign. Their FA Cup semifinal comes amidst a busy schedule, including both legs of the Champions League quarterfinals and a battle for a top-five Premier League finish with Newcastle. The question is whether a week`s rest will be sufficient for a squad that has occasionally shown signs of fatigue, despite rotation.
Nottingham Forest
Best FA Cup Finish: Winners (1898, 1959) — Similar to Aston Villa, FA Cup glory is distant history for Nottingham Forest. For many, their FA Cup story is defined by their 1991 final defeat to Tottenham under Brian Clough. Regardless of the semifinal outcome, this season marks Forest`s deepest run in the competition since that time.
Road to the Semifinals: Nottingham Forest`s journey has been filled with drama, starting with a straightforward 2-0 win over Luton. Since then, every match has gone the distance. League One side Exeter City pushed them to penalties, where goalkeeper Matz Sels emerged as the hero. The following rounds saw similar penalty shootout victories against Ipswich and then Brighton.
Chances of Winning: It would be unwise to underestimate Nottingham Forest, given their history of upsets, including their third-place Premier League finish in the past. Their cautious, defensive, and counter-attacking style is well-suited for cup competitions. In this FA Cup run, they have been defensively solid, restricting every opponent except Exeter to under 0.9 expected goals across two hours of play.
However, their underlying performance metrics in the cup, similar to their Premier League season, suggest only a slightly above-average expected goal difference, not typically associated with Champions League qualification or FA Cup wins. The question is whether they can continue to defy expectations.
Manchester City
Best FA Cup Finish: Winners (1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011, 2019, 2023) — A victory in May would see Pep Guardiola`s Manchester City equal Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham as the third most successful clubs in FA Cup history, highlighting their status among the `big six`. City has reached the semifinals for the seventh consecutive year, advancing to three finals, winning one, and losing to Manchester United last year.
Road to the Semifinals: Manchester City`s path has been relatively smooth, benefiting from a favorable draw. They convincingly defeated Salford City 8-0 in the third round before a more challenging fourth-round tie against Leyton Orient. Despite falling behind in the first half, Kevin De Bruyne turned the game around. Plymouth Argyle was then defeated, followed by an impressive comeback win at Dean Court.
Chances of Winning: Manchester City is the clear favorite. At their best, they are arguably unbeatable in this competition. However, they have shown vulnerabilities this season, occasionally falling short of their peak form. Their style can be susceptible to counter-attacking strategies, which teams like Forest, Palace, and Villa are well-equipped to employ.
Despite these potential challenges, City remains the most likely team to lift the FA Cup trophy at Wembley. If any other team were to win, it would be a truly remarkable FA Cup story.
