Aston Villa Set To Meet Crystal Palace In FA Cup Semi-Finals After Dominant Victory

Add as a preferred source on Google

Aston Villa secured a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals after defeating Preston North End 3-0. Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, netted his first two goals for Villa at Deepdale. Jacob Ramsey added another goal, marking Villa's first semi-final appearance since the 2014-15 season when they lost to Arsenal in the final.

Unai Emery's team will now face Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium. Palace advanced by beating Fulham 3-0 in their quarter-final match. They are currently on a five-game winning streak across all competitions, a feat they last achieved in April 2014. Additionally, Palace has won six consecutive away matches for the first time.

In their recent Premier League encounter, Crystal Palace defeated Aston Villa 4-1. Ismaila Sarr scored twice, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah also finding the net. This impressive form sets up an intriguing semi-final clash between the two teams.

Nottingham Forest will compete against either Bournemouth or Manchester City in the other semi-final. Forest reached this stage by defeating Brighton on penalties after a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium. Matz Sels was instrumental, saving penalty kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez.

Forest has relied on penalty shoot-outs to progress through three consecutive rounds. They eliminated Exeter City in the fourth round and Ipswich Town in the last 16 using this method. This achievement makes them the first team to win three penalty shoot-outs in a single FA Cup season.

The upcoming semi-final matches are scheduled for April 26 and 27, with the final set for May 17. Nottingham Forest could potentially face Manchester City if Pep Guardiola's team overcomes Bournemouth. City were runners-up last year after losing to Manchester United.

This year's FA Cup journey marks Nottingham Forest's 13th appearance in the semi-finals. Their last visit to this stage was in 1991 when they lost to Tottenham in the final. Historically, Forest has lifted the FA Cup trophy twice, once in 1898 and again in 1959.