The FA Cup is heating up as eight teams continue to fight it out for glory, all hoping to be in the pot for the semi-final draw. This season has truly been the year of the underdog, with Manchester City being the only club left to have lifted the FA Cup in the past 65 years. Although it would be a mistake to underestimate Pep Guardiola's side, they have hardly been in top form this season, leaving the door open for a surprise winner.
Manchester City is set to face AFC Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2025, at 4:30 PM. Bournemouth, one of the four teams still in the competition that has never won the FA Cup, will be looking to capitalize on City’s inconsistent performance this season. Meanwhile, Fulham and Crystal Palace will clash in a Saturday lunchtime match on March 29, 2025, with both teams also in search of their first FA Cup triumph.
Brighton & Hove Albion, another team without a FA Cup victory, will take on Nottingham Forest, the 1959 winners, at 5:15 PM on the same Saturday. The final tie features Preston North End, the only non-Premier League side left in the tournament, as they host Aston Villa early on Sunday, March 30, 2025. The stakes are high for all teams involved, as the prize for the victors in each tie will be a visit to Wembley Stadium for the semi-finals.
The draw for the FA Cup semi-final will take place after the Sunday tie between Preston North End and Aston Villa at Deepdale, which is scheduled for a 1:30 PM kick-off. The game will be broadcast live on BBC One, and if it is settled in regulation time, it should conclude around 3:30 PM. However, if extra-time and penalties are required, the draw will be pushed back until afterwards.
As the anticipation builds, here are the FA Cup semi-final draw numbers: 1 - Fulham or Crystal Palace, 2 - Preston North End or Aston Villa, 3 - AFC Bournemouth or Manchester City, 4 - Brighton & Hove Albion or Nottingham Forest. The semi-finals are set to take place over the weekend of April 26 and 27, 2025, at Wembley Stadium, beneath the famous arch.
With only a few matches left before the semi-final draw, the excitement is palpable. Fans are eager to see if this will be the year that one of the underdog teams finally lifts the prestigious trophy. It has been almost a decade since any of the quarter-finalists, apart from Manchester City, have made it to the competition's showpiece, with the last instance being Crystal Palace's encounter with Manchester United in the 2016 final.
This year's FA Cup has seen its fair share of surprises, and as teams prepare for their crucial matches, the hope remains that one or even two clubs will get a taste of the Wembley turf that has been long awaited. The journey to the final on Saturday, May 17, 2025, continues, and the passion of the FA Cup is alive and well.
