One of Crystal Palace or Aston Villa will play in the FA Cup final, with Nottingham Forest taking on Manchester City in the other semi-final at Wembley.
Palace enjoyed a brilliant 3-0 win at Fulham on Saturday while Forest continued their spectacular season by edging a penalty shoot-out at Brighton to book their place at Wembley in the semi-finals.
Marcus Rashford scored his first goals for Aston Villa as they cruised to a 3-0 victory at Preston North End to join Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace in the hat, in what is a wide-open competition this season.
The final tie of the weekend involved Manchester City and Bournemouth, but it was Pep Guardiola’s side who reached the semi-finals for the seventh consecutive season as Omar Marmoush came off the bench to score the winner.
The FA Cup semi-finals will be played at Wembley across the weekend of 26 and 27 April.
FA Cup semi-final draw LIVE
- FA Cup semi-final draw revealed
- Crystal Palace to play Aston Villa
- Nottingham Forest to play Manchester City
- Ties will be played at Wembley across the weekend of 26/27 April
Marmoush sends Man City into FA Cup semi-finals after Haaland injury
18:27 , Jamie BraidwoodManchester City completed the FA Cup semi-final line-up and will play Nottingham Forest at Wembley after coming from behind to beat Bournemouth in the last remaining quarter-final tie.
Pep Guardiola’s side kept their hopes of winning silverware this season alive as goals from Erling Haaland and substitute Omar Marmoush - who replaced Haaland when the striker suffered an ankle injury - secured a hard-fought 2-1 win.
Marmoush scored with virtually his first touch after Haaland went over his ankle under the challenge of Lewis Cook. The Egyptian snuck a strike under Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had saved a penalty from Haaland in the first half of the quarter-final.
Marcus Rashford’s Aston Villa renaissance still needs work - but FA Cup offers historic opportunity
16:57 , Richard JollyMarcus Rashford had come from Wembley and now he is heading back there. His renaissance had included a pair of outings for England, Thomas Tuchel ending his international exile, and now he has powered Aston Villa to the national stadium. An FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace beckons for a club who have not won the competition since 1957. Rashford’s time at Villa Park may only last a few months, and no decision has been made whether to activate the £40m clause to sign him permanently, but it has the potential to prove historic.
Rashford renaissance still needs work but FA Cup offers a shot at history
Bournemouth vs Man City LIVE: Cherries look to take advantage of wide open FA Cup semi-final draw
16:20 , Flo CliffordThree of the four FA Cup semi-finalists have been decided, with the final quarter-final taking place this afternoon.
Bournemouth host heavyweights Manchester City as Andoni Iraola’s side bid for their first major trophy.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s liveblog here:
Bournemouth vs Man City LIVE: FA Cup team news and quarter-final updates
Aston Villa to face Crystal Palace as FA Cup semi-final draw revealed
16:09 , Flo CliffordCrystal Palace have been drawn Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals, while Nottingham Forest will face the winner of AFC Bournemouth or Manchester City.
The semi-finals will be held at Wembley on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April, with history on the line as Forest, Villa and Crystal Palace aim to become just the fourth team in the last 30 years to disrupt the dominance of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United in this competition.
For Bournemouth and Crystal Palace victory at Wembley would secure their first major trophy, while Forest last won the FA Cup in 1959 and Villa even further back, in 1957.
When do semi-final ties take place?
16:00 , Chris WilsonA reminder that these two games will take place at Wembley on 26 April and 27 April. Exact dates for each tie will be confirmed soon.
Forest drawn against City or Brighton
15:45 , Chris WilsonCity are of course one of the most successful sides in the FA Cup, winning it seven times (and three since 2010). Pep Guardiola’s men are bidding to make three finals in a row too.
Bournemouth have never won the FA Cup, or any major trophy for that matter.
Forest drawn against City or Bournemouth
15:40 , Chris WilsonForest are another side with an illustrious history in the competition, having won it twice (most recently in 1959).
Forest haven’t been in a semi-final since 1991, and last made the final that same season, losing 1-0 to Spurs.
Crystal Palace drawn against Aston Villa
15:37 , Chris WilsonVilla were last in an FA Cup final in 2015, when they were beaten 4-0 by Arsenal.
The Villans are one of the most successful sides in the competition though, having won it seven times (most recently in 1957).
Crystal Palace drawn against Aston Villa
15:36 , Chris WilsonPalace are bidding to reach a third final, having been in two FA Cup finals, in 1990 and 2016.
They lost both of those finals to Manchester United.
FA Cup semi-final draw LIVE
15:31 , Chris WilsonSemi-final two:
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa
FA Cup semi-final draw LIVE
15:31 , Chris WilsonSemi-final one:
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City or Bournemouth
Ball numbers
15:29 , Jamie BraidwoodHere’s a reminder of the ball numbers as the draw is just around the corner. It’s about to get underway, a little earlier than scheduled.
1. Crystal Palace
2. Aston Villa
3. AFC Bournemouth or Manchester City
4. Nottingham Forest
FA Cup semi-final draw LIVE
15:22 , Chris WilsonAs a reminder, we’re expecting the draw to come at around 3.45pm. The process follows Preston’s match with Aston Villa – Villa have eased to a 3-0 win in that one.
Why this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals are a once-in-a-generation event
15:15 , Chris WilsonThe majority of those left in the FA Cup are keenly aware this isn’t just another game. It’s a historic, and maybe unique, opportunity.
There will be no debates about the competition’s meaning. Most of the clubs who most frequently win it – including its five most successful clubs over the last 34 years and nine of its past 10 winners – are out. It really couldn’t mean more to those left.
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Why this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals are a once-in-a-generation event
When are the semi-finals?
15:05 , Chris WilsonThe semi-finals will take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April.
Marcus Rashford puts Aston Villa in charge of FA Cup quarter-final
14:56 , Jamie BraidwoodYou wait 14 games for a goal and then two come at once: Marcus Rashford’s two quickfire strikes have put Aston Villa in charge at Preston and heading for the semi-finals.
The first from Rashford, on the hour, came from a swift move as he finished Lucas Digne’s cut-back. The second was a penalty, taken cooly as he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Nottingham Forest’s fairytale season continues with penalty shootout triumph at Brighton
14:55 , Chris WilsonMatz Sels was Nottingham Forest’s penalty hero yet again as they reachedthe FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years.
The Belgian goalkeeper saved spot-kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez as Forest beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 on penalties after a largely dismal goalless draw at the Amex Stadium.
Sels had previously made crucial saves in the shoot-outs against Exeter and Ipswich in the previous two rounds.
Nottingham Forest’s fairytale season continues with shootout triumph at Brighton
Eberechi Eze inspires Crystal Palace to stunning win at Fulham in wide-open FA Cup
14:45 , Chris WilsonEberechi Eze was the difference maker as Crystal Palace booked their trip to Wembley with a 3-0 win over Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Palace’s number 10, who was among those in England manager Thomas Tuchel’s first squad selection earlier this month, opened the scoring with a brilliant effort before he assisted Ismaila Sarr for his side’s second at Craven Cottage.
Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to add a third as Palace claimed a fifth successive win in all competitions and will now eagerly await a semi-final in a competition that has become wide open thanks to the early exits of most of the traditional “big six”.
Eberechi Eze inspires Crystal Palace to stunning win at Fulham in wide-open FA Cup
Ball numbers ahead of the draw
14:40 , Chris Wilson1. Crystal Palace
2. Preston North End or Aston Villa
3. AFC Bournemouth or Manchester City
4. Nottingham Forest
How to watch the FA Cup draw
14:25 , Chris WilsonThe draw will take place live as part of BBC One’s broadcast of Preston North End v Aston Villa. It will also stream live on BBC iPlayer.
Mark Chapman will host the draw, while Joe Hart will conduct it.
When is the draw for the FA Cup semi-finals?
14:20 , Chris WilsonThe FA Cup semi-final draw will take place on Sunday 30 March after the conclusion of Preston North End v Aston Villa, which kicks off at 1:30pm, so we can expect the draw to take place at approximately 3:45pm or later.
FA Cup semi-final draw LIVE
14:10 , Chris WilsonThe FA Cup is back with four fascinating quarter-finals handing teams an opportunity to book a date at Wembley for the semi-finals of one of the most prestigious competitions in world football.
Last year’s runners-up Manchester City take on Bournemouth with Pep Guardiola’s side desperate to salvage a piece of silverware in what has been a frustrating season.
A London derby in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off saw Crystal Palace sweep aside Fulham to become the first team in the hat for the last four, while this season’s surprise package Nottingham Forest narrowly edged out Brighton in the evening kick-off on Saturday.
Preston North End, the only Championship side still in the draw, host Aston Villa on Sunday, with Unai Emery eyeing up a famous cup double ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain.
FA Cup semi-final draw LIVE
14:00 , Chris WilsonGood afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of today’s FA Cup semi-final draw.
The draw takes place after the conclusion of Preston vs Villa, with Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest having already booked their places at Wembley.
We’ll have all the latest build-up and news right here.
