Chelsea beat Villa to reach FA Cup final

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  • xman
    Admin
    • Sep 2006
    • 24007

    Chelsea beat Villa to reach FA Cup final

    CHELSEAPossessionAston Villa 50%Chelsea 50%Attempts on targetAston Villa 0Chelsea 0Attempts off targetAston Villa 0Chelsea 0CornersAston Villa 0Chelsea 0FoulsAston Villa 0Chelsea 0FA Cup semi-finalVenue: Wembley Date: Saturday, 10 April Kick-off: 1700 BSTCoverage: Full commentary BBC London 94.9 FM, DAB, DSAT & Online, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio, Final Score

    TEAM NEWS
    Chelsea keeper Hilario is struggling with a groin injury while defender Branislav Ivanovic will have a late fitness test on his injured knee.Michael Essien (knee), Ashley Cole (ankle), Ricardo Carvalho (ankle) and Jose Bosingwa (knee) are all sidelined.

    Aston Villa's manager Martin O'Neill has minor doubts over defender Richard Dunne and midfielder James Milner.

    Both Dunne and Milner are struggling with Achilles injuries but O'Neill is optimistic both will be fit to play.

    Chelsea chalked up an emphatic 7-1 win when the two sides met in the league on 27 March, but captain John Terry expects their Wembley encounter to be a far more even contest.

    Terry's former colleague Steve Sidwell, who moved from Stamford Bridge to Villa Park for £5m in July 2008, told the England defender how much the defeat hurt his team-mates.

    "Steve was already talking about the semi-final. He told me that Villa were fuming over the way that they got beaten and the way they played," said Terry.

    "It is going to be a totally different game. It is a bigger pitch at Wembley and they will probably have one or two more players back from injury as well."

    "We need to make sure when we go in to the game we forget what has happened recently and approach it the way we normally would."

    Terry's manager Ancelotti has reminded his players that they are potentially just seven games away from winning the club's first league and cup double.

    "We are very close but nothing is decided. They will be very difficult because every team has an aim to win," he said.


    Ancelotti's counterpart O'Neill has revealed his side are determined to reach their second final of the season and to avenge a different defeat.

    After going ahead through Milner's penalty, Villa lost 2-1 to Manchester United in the Carling Cup final in February.

    "The appetite for this game is even stronger having been to Wembley once this season. It is a great incentive for us," said O'Neill.

    "I am delighted to be going back again even though I don't necessarily agree with semi-finals being played at Wembley.

    "We lost the Carling Cup final and you could see by the second-half performance in the FA Cup quarter-final at Reading that there was a renewed determination to get back there again.

    "Of course, we face Chelsea. That won't be easy, particularly after what happened a fortnight ago, but the players are ready to go."

    BIG-MATCH FACTSThe tie in context

    • Holders Chelsea are bidding to become the sixth different club to win the FA Cup in consecutive seasons, and the first since Arsenal in 2002 and 2003. The silverware has been won in back-to-back seasons on 10 occasions. The Blues could become the first club to reach successive finals since Manchester United in 2004 and 2005.

    • These clubs are clashing in the first semi-final at Wembley, for the right to return on Saturday, 15 May for the end-of-season showpiece.

    • The winners of this semi-final will receive £900,000 and the losers £450,000, excluding broadcast fees. The winners of the FA Cup will receive another £1,800,000, and the runners-up £900,000.

    • Villa are paying their second visit to Wembley this season. They lost 2-1 to Manchester United in the Carling Cup final on 28 February. They are hoping to become the first club since Middlesbrough in 1997 to be League Cup runners-up and FA Cup finalists in the same season.

    Head-to-head• This is the 140th competitive meeting of these clubs. Aston Villa have a slight edge, with 55 wins to Chelsea's 52.

    • The Londoners had a field day when they met Villa in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.



    • Villa's only win in the last five meetings with Chelsea was on home soil six months ago.



    • This is the seventh season these clubs are meeting in the FA Cup, and Villa have the upper hand, having prevailed on four occasions.



    • Chelsea have had the better of their West Midland opponents in the last two occasions they have met in the competition; the most recent being the Blues' 1-0 win in the 1999/2000 Wembley final.

    The clubsASTON VILLA

    Current form

    • Avoided defeat in two of the last 20 in all competitions.

    • Their only losses in 2010, were in the League Cup final and last month's league visit to Stamford Bridge.

    FA Cup form

    • The seven times winners, are making their 20th appearance in an FA Cup semi-final, and aiming to qualify for the final for an 11th occasion.

    • Villa have not figured in the final since losing to Chelsea 10 years ago. They last lifted the trophy in 1957.

    The Manager

    • Martin O'Neill won the Scottish FA Cup three times as manager of Celtic (2001, 2004 and 2005).

    • The former Northern Ireland International, also won two domestic cups in England, when Leicester lifted the League Cup in 1997 and 2000.

    The Players

    • John Carew is Villa's top scorer in the FA Cup, having netted six of their 15 goals (three from the penalty spot).

    • Steve Sidwell could face his former club.

    CHELSEA

    Current form

    • Won their last three (all Premier League games), scoring 14 goals.

    FA Cup form

    • Chelsea are hoping to lift the trophy for the third time in four years.

    • The five-times winners have reached the semi-finals for the fourth time in five years, and the 19th time in their history.

    • They have knocked out Premier League clubs on seven occasions since losing to Liverpool in the semi-finals in April 2006, and have suffered just one defeat in 22 subsequent FA Cup ties.

    The Manager

    • Carlo Ancelotti has led one team to a domestic cup triumph as a coach, when AC Milan won the Italian Supercup in the 2003/04 season.

    The Players

    • Daniel Sturridge is Chelsea's top scorer in the FA Cup this season with four goals.

    Match officialsReferee: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)

    Assistant referees: Mike Mullarkey and Darrren Cann


    Fourth official: Mark ClattenburgThis article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.


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