Football lovers can look forward to an exciting action from the 2020-21 FA Cup, with the semi-final matches scheduled for this weekend.
The first semi-final in this weekend’s FA Cup action sees Chelsea face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
The Blues are looking to return to the FA Cup final for a second successive year (after their defeat to Arsenal last season), while the Citizens were last in the final in 2019, when they famously thrashed Watford 6-0.
The teams last met in a Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge earlier this year, with City claiming a 3-1 away win thanks to goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne.
“I trust my players so much. They don’t trust me but I trust them with their quality!” said Man City boss Pep Guardiola coming into this clash, while Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is enjoying his side’s FA Cup adventure but wants “more precision” going forward: “We need to catch the momentum to be sharper, to be closer and to be more aggressive,” said the German tactician.
The second semi-final on Sunday 18 April sees Wembley Stadium host a clash between Leicester City and Southampton – the two dark horses for the trophy. The Foxes showed their pedigree by putting out Manchester United in the previous round, but they would do well not to underestimate a Saints side which can afford to put all of their effort and intensity into this clash.
“I think we have shown in the FA Cup against Bournemouth, okay only a Championship team, but even there we have shown what made us strong and how we can play,” said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttle. “We expect a much tougher game now against Leicester, but we must have the same behaviour and same effort, then we have a chance to win against them.”
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, is hoping to make history with the Foxes, as the club’s best showing in the FA Cup is four runners-up finishes in 1949, 1961, 1963 and 1969.
“We are in the semifinal and we have a chance to get to the final and create history,” Rodgers said. “For the club to get to the final and win the trophy would be really special. It’s a trophy in their history they haven’t won. It’s a tough game in the semifinal but the club has never won the FA Cup so to be able to do something like that will be special.”
