The FA Cup final four has some unusual contenders this year, as none of the big clubs in England even reached the quarter-finals: no Liverpool, no Chelsea, no Arsenal, no Manchester United, no Tottenham Hotspur. Only Manchester City from the usual contenders of the title, the only shot at redemption after a disastrous season for the recent Premier League ruler.
Last weekend, the quarter-finals took place, with City coming back against Bournemouth 2-1 and reaching FA Cup semi-finals for the seventh time in a row. "Pep has always taken the domestic competitions seriously and it's a great record he's got" said former Manchester United captain Roy Keane on ITV (via BBC Sport). This year, City got quickly eliminated from Champions League and lost all chances of fighting for the Premier League, but FA Cup - the oldest football competition in the world, one that Pep has "only" won twice - lost last year to Manchester United, is the final chance he has of winning a title this year. Pep's only season as a manager without a trophy was 2016-17, his first one at Manchester.
To do that, they would have to eliminate Nottingham Forest in the one-leg semi-final on April 26. The team, coached by Nuno Espírito Santo, defeated City in the Premier League on March 10, but City thrashed them earlier in December, 3-0. In the final in May, it will be either Crystal Palace or Unai Emery's Aston Villa, which has an upcoming challenge against PSG in Champions League next week.
FA Cup semi-finals and final:
Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City (April 26)
Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa (April 26)
Final: May 17