The two games look set to be mouthwatering occasions with three Arsenal facing Chelsea in all-London encounter. Twenty four hours later English and European champions Manchester United face Everton in the second semi-final.
Semi-Finalists Riding High in EPL
Of the four semi-finalists only Everton sit outside the top four of the English Premier League, though the Merseysiders are still riding high in the table. So English football fans, and the worldwide viewing public, can be guaranteed that two of England's top clubs will contest the showpiece final in May.
That is in contrast to the 2008 when two England's less fashionable sides, Portsmouth from the English Premier League, and Cardiff City of the Football League Championship contested the final. Portsmouth lifted the famous trophy that day, beating their Welsh opponents 1-0.
But that final proved to be the exception which proved the rule, with at least one of the top sides in the country featuring in the final since 1992.
Of the four semi-finalists, Arsenal have won the FA Cup four times in the last dozen seasons and Chelsea three times in the past 13 years. Manchester United won the trophy an impressive five times since 1990. Their 1990 FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace, in a replay is credited with having helped manager Sir Alex Ferguson keep his job at Old Trafford.
Everton last won the FA Cup in 1995, ironically beating this season's semi-final opponents Manchester United 1-0.
Champions League Test
The quality of this season's FA Cup semi-finalists is exemplified by the fact that three of the contenders, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United will be playing in the Champions League just days ahead of the ties at Wembley.
This would normally prove a massive headache for managers, but with the English Premier League awash with cash, the top sides can afford to carry big squads laced with quality. That allows club managers to “rotate” their squads, resting key players and being able to replace them with similar quality.
FA Cup Prize Money
Ironically the cash floating around the English Premier League has seen the FA Cup - renowned as the greatest club domestic knock out competition in the world, lose some of its glamour.
The winners of the two FA Cup semi-finals will receive £1 million each. The losers can expect to pick up half that amount, the first time the unsuccessful sides have earned prize money in the history of the competition.
Those figures will be dwarfed by the time of the FA Cup Final on 30th May. The side lucky enough to lay hands on the famous old trophy will receive £2 million in prize money. The runners up take £1 million.
While those figures are eye watering to clubs outside the English Premier League, they are but a fraction on offer to sides in the world's top league.
That has seen sides prepared to field weakened sides in this season' FA Cup as they have concentrated their resources on maintaining their place in the English Premier League.
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