For some clubs, the FA Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. For others, it’s a stepping stone to bigger ambitions.
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This weekend, Wembley will be the stage for two pivotal FA Cup semi-finals involving Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City.
While each team dreams of lifting a major domestic trophy, for Forest, Villa, and City, there’s an additional layer of ambition – securing a top-five Premier League finish and a coveted spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The Trophy or the Ticket to Europe?
On Saturday, Crystal Palace face Aston Villa in the first semi-final at 17:15 BST, broadcast live on BBC One, iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
On Sunday, Nottingham Forest go up against Manchester City at 16:30 BST.
The eventual winner on 17 May will claim not just glory, but a place in next season’s Europa League.
Yet, with Champions League qualification guaranteeing eight matches in Europe’s elite competition, the financial and reputational stakes are high.
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha emphasized the enduring significance of winning a trophy:
“The chance of a trophy is massive, regardless of anything else that is going on,” he said.
“Lifting silverware gives truly iconic moments. That is the stuff that you remember. For years to come fans recall the starting XIs, the squads, the managers, the run – everything.”
Shock and History in the FA Cup
This year’s FA Cup has been full of upsets.
Arsenal bowed out in round three, Liverpool stumbled at Plymouth in round four, and Fulham knocked out Manchester United in the fifth round at Old Trafford.
Among the remaining four teams, only Crystal Palace have never lifted the cup.
Manchester City have won it twice in the past six seasons.
For Villa, their last triumph dates back to 1957, despite having seven titles to their name.
Forest last won it in 1959, even though they’ve twice been European champions since then.
The Financial Divide
From a monetary perspective, the FA Cup pales in comparison to the Champions League.
Aston Villa earned £910,000 in FA Cup prize money for victories over West Ham, Tottenham, Cardiff, and Preston this season.
In contrast, they received £8.85 million for five Champions League group-stage wins, and an additional £9.27 million for reaching the last 16.
Yet, winning the FA Cup final brings just £2 million in prize money.
Forest’s last foray in Europe’s premier competition was in October 1980 when it was still called the European Cup.
Now they sit fourth in the Premier League with five games left and a three-point lead over sixth-placed Chelsea.
Some fans remain torn. Forest fan Ben said:
“I want to be an FA Cup romantic, but Champions League football would provide such a big windfall that it offers a much better opportunity for establishing a strong foundation for future success.”
On the other hand, Simon countered:
“Yes, European football brings in cash. But winning a cup is eternal. Look at the joy of Newcastle fans – they will remember this year more fondly than the year they made the top four.”
Onuoha added: “These are pinch-yourself moments for the Forest fans and if they get one and not the other, they can decide how they feel about that afterwards.”
Villa: Eyes on Europe, Heart at Wembley
Villa are chasing both glory and progression.
Their Champions League dreams ended in the quarter-finals after a narrow defeat to Paris St-Germain, and they now lie seventh in the league, two points off fifth and with one game more played than their immediate rivals.
“Of course the Premier League is our priority,” said manager Unai Emery following a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City. “We play in the Premier League to be in the top five.”
Despite this, more than 30,000 Villa fans will be at Wembley this weekend for their first FA Cup semi-final in a decade.
“It’s special to play in semi-finals. It’s something we achieved with hard work. Now we must continue it,” Emery said.
Onuoha believes the game could define Villa’s entire season.
“We saw with Newcastle what seeing your team lift silverware can mean to supporters and sometimes it’s a once in a lifetime type thing.
Villa will want a chance to try and lift the trophy. You could very much make the case that it is the biggest game of their whole season so far.”
The game is massive, the players will know it’s massive, all those fans travelling down to Wembley will know it’s massive.
He continued: “I think at times it is maybe taken for granted in this modern age of the financial power of Champions League qualification.
You can say the whole season could ride on this semi-final, and in some ways maybe it does. But isn’t that always the case when you get a chance to play for silverware?”
City: History-Makers with One Eye on Europe
Manchester City are in their seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final. They’ve reached the final three times during that span, winning in 2019 and 2023.
Still, Guardiola’s squad remains focused on qualifying for the Champions League.
“We haven’t done anything special with just one,“ he reminded fans about their 2023 Champions League win.
City are currently third in the league on 61 points, four ahead of sixth-place Chelsea.
Onuoha noted: “Guardiola has spent a lot of this season making the point about how good this team has been in years gone by – like reaching seven FA Cup semi-finals in a row.
Many teams have not reached seven in their whole history so he has been more defiant in how he speaks about his team.
He wants to make sure that people understand where he is coming from, where the club is coming from, how good they have been in years gone by, and how he still believes in the team.”
Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes said their focus is clear.
“It’s important to go and win the semi-final, but I think our main goal is the Premier League, to try to qualify for the Champions League,” he stated.
“We are not looking to the FA Cup as a secondary thing, but our main focus is to win the remaining four league games.”
The Verdict: Glory or Growth?
In modern football, silverware and Champions League qualification aren’t just competing goals—they represent different values.
Trophies bring timeless joy, unforgettable memories, and a place in history.
European qualification, on the other hand, offers financial muscle, exposure, and long-term competitiveness.
