United to face Chelsea in FA Cup semis, Arsenal playing City
Manchester United will face Chelsea and Arsenal will play holder Manchester City in the semifinals of the FA Cup.
The draw features three of the Cup’s four most successful sides, with Arsenal the record 13-time winner, BBC Sport reported.
United, which beat Norwich to reach the last four, has won it 12 times, while Chelsea, which edged past Leicester in the quarterfinals, has eight wins.
Both ties will be played at Wembley on the weekend of July 18-19. The final is scheduled for Saturday, August 1 at the same venue.
The draw was made at halftime in the game between City and Newcastle, which Pep Guardiola’s side won 2-0 thanks to a Kevin de Bruyne penalty and a classy Raheem Sterling finish.
That game was taking place after Arsenal knocked out Sheffield United, with Dani Ceballos scoring the winner in the 91st minute.
The semifinal between United and Chelsea is a repeat of the 2018 final, which was won by the Blues.
‘Ideal preparation’
City’s slim hopes of retaining its Premier League crown have gone but it still has two trophies in its crosshairs, Guardiola said after the win over Newcastle United.
As well as the Cup, City is also still in the hunt for the Champions League title and holds a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid from the away leg of their last 16 clash in February before the competition was suspended due to COVID-19.
Europe’s elite club competition will be completed with an eight-team mini-tournament held in Lisbon in August.
“We have two competitions we can win,” Guardiola told reporters on Sunday.
“It will be good to arrive against Real Madrid in the best condition. To win this title would be the best way to prepare for Madrid.”
Guardiola also said he was pleased with City’s response after last week’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea handed Liverpool the Premier League title.
“We’re delighted after the defeat against Chelsea to be in London again at Wembley to play against Arsenal in the semifinal to try to reach the final of the FA Cup,” he added.
“Always it’s an incredible trophy and it gives us an extra bonus.”