FA Cup draw LIVE: Liverpool/Forest, Chelsea, Man City and Crystal Palace learn semi-final fate
Follow the FA Cup semi-final draw as it happens
Manchester City will face either Liverpool or Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals, while Chelsea have been drawn against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool play Forest this evening in the last remaining quarter-final tie and the winner of the match at the City Ground will secure a meeting with Pep Guardiola’s side.
City beat Southampton 4-1 at St Mary’s to reach the semi-finals, while Crystal Palace knocked out Everton and Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Liverpool and Manchester City are competing for the Premier League title and a FA Cup semi-final at Wembley would take place on either 16 or 17 April, after the second legs of the Champions League quarter-finals. Chelsea are also still involved in the Champions League.
However, Liverpool still have work to do and face a Forest side tonight who have knocked out Arsenal and Leicester to reach this stage.
FA Cup draw
FA Cup semi-final draw
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest/Liverpool
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
Ties to be played across 16 and 17 April
Liverpool or Nottingham Forest to face Manchester City in FA Cup semi-finals
The semi-final ties will take place at Wembley across the weekend of April 16 and 17, following the second legs of the Champions League quarter-finals that week
Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
The last quarter-final is coming right up – here is Tony Evans’ preview remembering a time when Liverpool and Forest were Europe’s giants.
Remembering when Liverpool and Nottingham Forest shared the biggest rivalry in Europe
After four years, 13 intense clashes, and three European Cups, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest’s rivalry could not have been more intense. It is why, 23 years after their last meeting, it will never be just another game
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
The other semi-final will be an all-London affair as Chelsea and Palace make the short trip to Wembley Stadium. Palace will be the underdogs but they will have the luxury of having little else to focus on, while Chelsea continue in the Champions League and still have work to do to seal a top-four finish.
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest/Liverpool
So this would be tasty – the two title contenders could well meet in the semi-finals at Wembley, right in the middle of their heated battle for the Premier League. Of course Liverpool must get past Forest tonight first, and you suspect the chance to test themselves against Pep Guardiola’s City will be a great motivator for the Championship side tonight.
FA Cup semi-final draw
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest/Liverpool
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
Chelsea ease past Middlesbrough into semi-finals
Yesterday, Chelsea continued to make light of their off-pitch turmoil with another impressive display on it as they reached the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory at Middlesbrough.
First-half goals by Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech knocked the stuffing out of second-tier Middlesbrough who had eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in previous rounds.
Lukaku tapped in Mason Mount’s low cross after 15 minutes before Ziyech fired home 16 minutes later.
Middlesbrough were given raucous support inside the Riverside Stadium but never really looked capable of troubling the visitors who were always in control.
Chelsea, the object of several buyout bids, are operating under a special licence from the British government after Russian owner Roman Abramovich was hit with sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Only a few hundred Chelsea fans were inside the stadium - a consequence of restrictions on them selling tickets - but they could at least celebrate their team reaching the semis for the fifth time in six seasons.
Since Abramovich announced that he was putting the European champions up for sale on March 2 after 19 trophy-laden years, it has been very much business as usual on the pitch.
They have won all six fixtures since, the latest win coming the day after a deadline for bids to buy the club.
Despite the distractions, manager Thomas Tuchel has remained focused on winning games, and the performance of his players on Saturday was clinical.
“We were very focused and very serious. We showed the quality at decisive moments,” the German said. “The effort was huge and we never let them get a foot into the door after the two early goals. It was a deserved win.”
City dominate to knock out Southampton
Phil Foden’s stunning strike capped off a dominant Manchester City performance to book their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 win over Southampton at St Mary’s.
Pep Guardiola’s side had failed to win either Premier League game against the Saints this season, but their emphatic victory kept them on course for a treble.
Raheem Sterling had handed the league leaders an early advantage, tapping home in the 12th minute, but it was cancelled out by Aymeric Laporte’s own goal just before half-time.
The hosts fought hard with the scores level, but were deflated when Kevin De Bruyne’s 62nd-minute penalty restored City’s lead.
City’s performance was capped off by a well-struck left-footed shot from the edge of the box from Foden in the 75th minute, with Riyad Mahrez also putting his name on the scoresheet three minutes later.
Vieira dreaming of FA Cup glory
Patrick Vieira believes anything is possible for Crystal Palace after they emphatically progressed into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4-0 win over Everton.
The Eagles endured a tricky start at Selhurst Park but Marc Guehi’s 25-minute opener helped settle any lingering nerves and Jean-Philippe Mateta added a crucial second before half-time.
It put the hosts firmly in the driving seat for a place at Wembley and late goals from Wilfried Zaha and Will Hughes booked their spot in the last four with a comprehensive victory.
“Anything is possible,” five-time FA Cup winner Vieira insisted.
“When you get to that level, anything can happen and that is the beauty of this game.”
FA Cup draw
Follow all the latest updates from the FA Cup semi-final draw as Liverpool/Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Manchester City and Crystal Palace discover their fate.
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