Watford, Wolves face off in ‘best of the rest’ FA Cup semis

LONDON: Wolves and Watford meet in the FA Cup semi-final today, seeking silverware to add lustre to a season in which they are both battling to be the “best of the rest” in the Premier League.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves nestle just below the top six after a second straight win against Manchester United this week, with Watford a point and a place below them in eighth spot.

Ambitious Wolves, bankrolled by the Chinese Fosun International group, were promoted last year after six seasons out of the top flight but they have made a splash since their return, taking 13 points off the big six.

Their rise has not been without controversy — a number of clubs last year urged the English Football League (EFL) to investigate the influence at Molineux of Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, who looks after Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mendes’s Gestifute agency, whose clients also include the Wolves boss and players Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota and Ivan Cavaleiro, has flooded the club with talent out of reach of competitors.

But the EFL ruled that the club’s relationship with Mendes, who has no official title at the club, had not breached regulations regarding intermediaries.

Wolves this week made another powerful statement of intent, breaking their club transfer record to sign top-scorer Raul Jimenez, who had been on loan from Benfica, for a reported £30 million (RM169 million).

Wolves are steeped in the history of their famous title-winning sides of the 1950s and are four-time winners of the FA Cup, even if their last success was in 1960.

Watford, who were losing finalists in 1984, cannot boast the same historical pedigree but are punching above their weight in a cut-throat league.

On Tuesday, they beat Fulham to reach 46 points, breaking their record Premier League tally and reaching their best mark in a topflight campaign since 1986-87 (63).