The FA Cup will kick off its semifinals this weekend. On one side of the back, Brighton will host Manchester United and on the other side, Manchester City will be the home side against Sheffield United.
The FA Cup is set up for a showdown between the Manchester clubs in the final. However, Brighton and/or Sheffield United could throw a wrench into the works.
When are the FA Cup semifinals?
The semifinals will kick off on Saturday, April 22, and will be played over two days. Saturday will see Brighton play Manchester United and Sunday’s match will be the fixture between Manchester City and Sheffield United.
Both semifinals will be played at Wembley Stadium in London. The neutral site won’t give any of the four clubs an upper hand. At least the neutral venue is supposed to make the final four fairer.
FA Cup outright winner odds
Manchester City go into the final four as the bookmakers’ favorite to win. City can win three trophies this spring. The team is battling for the Premier League title, FA Cup, and Champions League trophy.
Here at the latest FA Cup outright winner odds courtesy of Bet365. Odds are accurate as of April 20.
- Man City -175
- Man United +350
- Brighton +400
- Sheffield United +3300
Sheffield United are being given very little chance to win the FA Cup. Why? The Blades play in the Championship and lack the talent possessed by Manchester City.
United may be the second-favorite to win the trophy, but Brighton are having one of their best-ever seasons. The Seagulls are thriving under manager Roberto De Zerbi and could qualify for the cup final with a win over Manchester United.
FA Cup semifinal picks
Manchester City -700 vs Sheffield United +1400
This game could get ugly. Manchester City are in form heading into the FA Cup semifinal. The Cityzens dispatched Bayern Munich in midweek in the Champions League quarterfinals and are on Arsenal’s back in the race for the Premier League title. There is a very good chance Man City will win all three trophies.
Man City were +400 to win all three trophies just a few days ago. Now, bookmakers have City at odds of +200 to win the treble.
Sheffield United’s defense should struggle to contain the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and Erling Haaland. The Blades would need to play the game of the season to win.
Expect Sheffield United to come out with lots of energy but to drop off quickly. City should get a goal and could open the floodgates.
Result: Manchester City to win; Over 2.5 goals.
Brighton +150 vs Manchester United +175
Sunday’s semifinal should be more competitive. Brighton defeated Manchester United twice already this season in the Premier League and are aiming for a third straight win.
Brighton are shockingly the favorite to win the match. The Seagulls went unbeaten in eight of their last nine matches in the league. United are on a four-match unbeaten run, but manager Erik ten Hag is facing an injury crisis.
Our pick is for Brighton to shock Man United and win at Wembley in the semifinal. The Seagulls have had Man United’s number twice this season already. United’s injury problems should cause issues for Ten Hag, especially if leading goalscorer Marcus Rashford is unavailable.
Result: Brighton to win; Over 2.5 goals
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