ASTON VILLA V CHELSEA

The Blues head for the new Wembley for the seventh time in just four seasons and a re-match of the 2000 FA Cup Finalists. Two weeks on from the last occasion.
Aston Villa are chasing only a second FA Cup final since 1957. A Chelsea win would set up a seventh FA Cup final in 16 years. Yet the proper context for this last-four cup match is that Villa surprised Ancelotti's men early in the season at Villa Park, but Martin O'Neill's men were trounced 7-1 only a fortnight ago at the Bridge.
Saturday evening will bring Chelsea's 50th game of a season that is tantalisingly close to becoming a memorable one. Still, the team might easily end up with nothing to show for their efforts should the form that brought home defeat by Manchester City and a painful draw at Blackburn return.
KEY STAT
Chelsea have won 10 consecutive FA Cup matches and have conceded only six goals in that sequence.

The league campaign should take a back seat until Sunday when Manchester United, post-Bayern, aim to regain top spot following Chelsea's brilliant win at Old Trafford last weekend.

Carlo Ancelotti, commanding the troops in Chelsea's 20th FA Cup semi-final since 1911, has been swept up by the passion shown by his adopted country for the world's oldest football club tournament. But he may still have one eye on the Blues' next game - Tuesday at home to Bolton Wanderers in the Barclays Premier League.


Villa's hopes for fourth spot and a Champions League place now look forlorn. They are five points shy of current occupants Manchester City, with two sides ahead of them on the roster.


Martin O'Neill realistically only has this competition left to justify his spending on the squad last summer. Although he can point to his team finishing as runners-up in the League Cup at Wembley, he last won a trophy in England with Leicester City back in 2000 - the same year Chelsea beat his current side in the FA Cup final.

Chelsea will join Manchester Utd at the top of a special list this weekend. It will be the seventh time the Blues have played at the modernised Wembley. Portsmouth are next with three appearances (four after Sunday). Spurs will make it three, and Villa two.
The mighty Arsenal, meanwhile, are stranded alongside Luton, Yeovil, Lowestoft, and Kirkham and Wesham, on one new Wembley day out.

Should Chelsea succeed we could face Spurs, who won the League Cup by beating the Blues at Wembley in 2008. Revenge in that instance should have cooled sufficiently for the authors of that proverb.

If the game is all square after 90 minutes, extra time will be played and if necessary penalties.

Weekend fixtures
Saturday
Hull v Burnley -3pm - Premier League
West Ham v Sunderland - 3pm - Premier League
Aston Villa v Chelsea - 5pm - FA Cup semi-final
Sunday
Wolverhampton v Stoke - 12pm - Premier League
Blackburn v Man Utd - 1.30pm -- Premier League
Liverpool v Fulham - 3pm - Premier League
Man City v Birmingham - 4pm -- Premier League
Tottenham v Portsmouth - 4pm - FA Cup semi-final


Leading goalscorers all competitions (club and country)
Didier Drogba 36
Wayne Rooney 35
Carlos Tevez 26