The magic of the FA Cup

Dating back to 1871, the FA Cup's legacy is marked by an array of historic moments. Third-tier Chesterfield beat the odds to reach the semi-finals in 1997, Wigan achieved a somewhat undesirable feat in 2013 when they became the first team to lift the cup and get relegated from the top flight, and in 2015, Bradford, 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge, miraculously came back from the dead to thump Chelsea 4-2 in the fourth round.

This season has been no exception and the competition has staged more customary ‘cupsets.’ Famously on fire, Will Grigg terrified the Manchester City defence at the DW. The Northern Irishman's late winner for Wigan crushed City's hopes of a sixth FA Cup triumph and saw Pep Guardiola’s quadruple dreams quickly dissipate.

Now, the 737 sides that entered the FA Cup have been whittled down to just four: Chelsea, Manchester United, Southampton and Tottenham. All Premier League sides, the four that will battle it out have taken distinct paths to Wembley, and some have been more rocky than others…

Manchester United v Tottenham

Saturday’s tie will see Manchester United lock horns with Tottenham. The Red Devils, yet to concede in this year’s edition of the cup, are now just two wins away from equalling Arsenal’s record of 13 FA Cups. In their journey to the semi-finals, United have efficiently seen off Derby (2-0), Yeovil (0-4), Huddersfield (0-2) and Brighton (2-0). Four comfortable victories, their run has been quite the contrast to the rickety ride of their opponents Tottenham.

Taken to a replay by League Two outfit Newport and third-tier Rochdale, Spurs twice came close to making a hash of a comparatively easy run. After trouncing Wimbledon (3-0), Mauricio Pochettino’s men claimed replay victories against Newport (1-1, 2-0) and Rochdale (2-2, 6-1) before an emphatic quarter-final triumph in Wales against Swansea (0-3).

Tottenham will be playing on familiar turf at Wembley on Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless, the North London side will be disorientated as they find themselves forced to use the away dressing room in a stadium they’ve made their home this season.

Across their Premier League meetings in 2017/18, Spurs have just edged the Red Devils: United ran away 1-0 winners at Old Trafford, whilst Spurs took all the points in a 2-0 victory at Wembley. No need to get the calculator out, that gives an aggregate score of 2-1 to Tottenham.

Chelsea v Southampton

On Sunday, Chelsea and Southampton will go head-to-head in England’s most impressive stadium. Much like the other London club still in contention for the trophy, Chelsea have had to go right down to the wire in their journey to Wembley. After a thrilling third-round replay with Norwich (0-0, 1-1, 5-3 on penalties), the Blues eased past Newcastle (3-0) and Hull (4-0) before narrowly edging Leicester (1-2).

Antonio Conte’s opponent, Southampton, are the only non-heavyweight side remaining in the competition. This year’s underdogs, Saints will be crossing their fingers for a sprinkle of cup magic. The plaque on the only major trophy in the cabinet at St. Mary’s reads ‘FA Cup 1976’ and they’ll be eager to emulate their cup success 42 years on.

Leaking goals in the league, Saints’ journey to the semi-final has seen them keep three clean sheets: Fulham (0-1), Watford (1-0), West Brom (1-2), Wigan (0-2). The club currently finds itself in the dark depths of a relegation battle but will relish the challenge of achieving what Wigan failed to do in 2013. However, should they be axed from the Premier League, cup glory would be an ornate silver lining on a depressingly cloudy season and would also give the Saints another stab at the Europa league.

Fans were treated to a preview of this clash last Saturday down on the South Coast. 2-0 up with half an hour to go, an eight minute lapse of concentration saw Southampton undone by an Olivier Giroud masterclass. The game finished 2-3 and any neutrals at Wembley on Sunday will be hoping for an equally as exciting encounter.

With just over 24 hours to go until the semi-finals kick-off, the stage is set for another year of dazzling FA Cup magic. At this stage in the competition, there are no favourites. Four teams, all with the same dream, will anxiously step out onto the pitch at Wembley hoping to book their place in the final and move a step closer to one of the world’s most prestigious pieces of silverware.