We’re down to the final four in one of the world’s most famous domestic football competitions, as the FA Cup semi-finals are played out across the weekend at Wembley Stadium.
An enticing clash on Sunday sees Manchester United go up against fellow English Premier League high-fliers Brighton, as they do battle for a coveted place in the end-of-season final and a return to the iconic London venue.
Meeting the winners will be the side that emerges from Saturday’s semi-final between reigning EPL champions Manchester City and Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United.
FA Cup: Brighton vs Manchester United – Sunday 23 April
It’s a blockbuster FA Cup semi-final in store at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, as Manchester United face the challenge of Brighton for a final berth in June.
Both put their impressive English Premier League campaigns on the back burner for the weekend, with United third and the Seagulls seventh in the EPL table.
And it’s the 2016 Cup winners from the north west who will come into this one as slight favourites.
Bruno Fernandes scored twice either side of Marcel Sabitzer to ensure safe passage to the last four, as the Red Devils overcame fellow top flight club Fulham 3-1 in the quarter-finals at Old Trafford.
It was hardly a surprising scoreline, with Erik ten Hag’s men producing identical results on home turf in all three previous rounds of the competition.
West Ham were the victims in round five, as David Moyes made an unsuccessful Old Trafford return, while Championship Reading and struggling Everton fell to the same fate at the earlier hurdles.
A quarter-final cakewalk at the Amex Stadium ensured their opponents’ semi-final spot, as they saw off a potential giant killing from fourth tier Grimsby in fine style.
Evan Ferguson scored twice after a Deniz Undav opener, before Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma added the late gloss to a 5-0 thumping.
They squeezed past Championship Stoke in the fifth round, having picked off Liverpool at the Amex in round four, with that man Mitoma scoring the late winner.
Roberto de Zerbi’s men had already struck five in this season’s tournament, too, demolishing second tier promotion contenders Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium back in January.
FA Cup: Manchester City vs Sheffield United – Saturday 22 April
A giant killing could be in the offing as Manchester City face Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The odds are stacked against the Championship side as they take on the reigning English Premier League champions, but stranger things have happened in the famous old competition throughout its storied history.
But the present paints a tricky picture for the underdogs, who will note the 6-0 thrashing doled out by their opponents to Burnley in the quarter-finals, with the Clarets streets ahead of themselves at the top of the second tier table.
Erling Haaland netted a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium in that one, while a Phil Foden double and one from Kevin de Bruyne did the business at Bristol City in round five.
A 1-0 victory over EPL title rivals Arsenal took them through the fourth round, after a 4-0 battering of Graham Potter’s sorry Chelsea had done the trick at the first hurdle in January.
Missing the big day is quarter-final hero Tommy Doyle.
The youngster netted United’s injury time winner at Bramall Lane against fellow second tier club Blackburn, but the loan star is barred from facing his parent club in the semis.
A famous, 1-0 success against Tottenham secured progress from round five for boss Paul Heckingbottom and his men, who needed a fourth round replay to eliminate media darlings Wrexham and their Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
There was no such glitz and glamour on entering the competition in round three, with a routine 2-0 win at the Den against Millwall setting the South Yorkshire side on their semi-final trail.
English FA Cup predictions for 22 – 23 April
Manchester City vs Sheffield United
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | E. Haaland(Manchester City) P. Foden(Manchester City) J. Álvarez(Manchester City) |
Brighton vs Manchester United
| Result prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion / Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | E. Ferguson(Brighton & Hove Albion) |