rewrite this title FA Cup 2024/25: Semi-final draw details, results, TV picks & more

The 2024/25 FA Cup is down to the last four, with an all-Premier League lineup confirmed after this weekend’s results.

Crystal Palace were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals with a comfortable victory at Fulham, returning to Wembley for the FA Cup semis for the first time since 2022.

Nottingham Forest ended a longer wait for an appearance at this stage, having last got this far in the cup in 1991, with their penalty shootout win over Brighton & Hove Albion securing a first FA Cup match at Wembley since the 1991 final.

Aston Villa saw off the last remaining Championship side in Preston North End to keep their domestic cup hopes alive, while Manchester City had to come from behind to defeat Bournemouth, who were denied the chance of a first cup semi.

Last year saw former Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag get revenge for his side’s defeat in the 2023 final. While the final featured two of the elite top-flight sides, there were a few cup runs from those in the lower tiers.

Maidstone United reached the fifth round, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Coventry City, who came so close to reaching the final. Against Man Utd, the Sky Blues thought they had won the tie in extra time, but eventually lost on penalties.

The first FA Cup final was played in 1872 and won by Wanderers Football Club – the first of five victories. As of 2024, Arsenal hold the record for most trophies won with 14, with their last coming in 2020.

In total, there have been 143 FA Cup finals staged, with 44 teams winning the competition at least once in their history.

FA Cup format and changes

The FA Cup is a simple knockout tournament, with the winners of each tie advancing to the next round. Non-league clubs take part in qualifying, with teams from League One and League Two entering in the first round proper. Premier League and Championship clubs join at the third-round stage.

A major change to the format has seen replays scrapped from the first round onwards. Previously, drawn matches would see the fixture replayed at the visitors’ home ground, but citing player welfare, the FA decided to remove replays to ease fixture congestion.

The move sparked anger from the EFL and prompted backlash from the likes of Keir Starmer.

FA Cup semi-final draw

The semi-final draw was made on 30th March, with Manchester City now the likely favourites after securing a seventh consecutive appearance in the semis – though each team will now fancy their chances after making it to Wembley.

Crystal Palace have never won a major trophy but could make a second final in the last decade following their 3-0 success at Fulham, with Ebere Eze starring as the Eagles brushed their London rivals aside. Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah grabbed the other goals for the visitors.

A cagey quarter-final between Brighton and Nottingham Forest saw the away side come out on top after a shootout – Forest’s third of this FA Cup run. Ryan Yates netted the winning spot-kick after Matz Sels had saved two Brighton penalties.

Another pair of away victories followed, with Aston Villa securing a far more comfortable passage through against Preston thanks to a Marcus Rashford double and Jacob Ramsey’s clincher.

Meanwhile, Man City survived a penalty miss and a Bournemouth opener to remain in with a shout of a third successive final after Omar Marmoush’s winner on the south coast.

TV channel picks and kick-off times are set to be announced in due course, with the games set to be played on the weekend of 26th/27th April.

2024/25 FA Cup results

The FA Cup’s first round proper kicked off with fifth-tier Tamworth defeating League One Huddersfield Town, while the weekend saw its fair share of surprise results and almighty scares.

However, there was to be no ‘fairytale’ run for Wrexham as they were undone by Harrogate Town. AFC Wimbledon’s win in a grudge match against MK Dons was another highlight of the round.

Tamworth continued their story in the second round after knocking out Burton Albion on penalties, while Reading were taken to extra time by Harborough Town. Elsewhere, League One leaders Wycombe avoided an upset with a win at non-league Wealdstone.

The Lambs’ superb run to the third round came to a valiant end at home to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, with the National League outfit taking Ange Postecoglou’s men to extra time.

The shock of the third round was undoubtedly Brentford’s undoing at home to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle, while holders Manchester United saw off Arsenal in a fierce affair at the Emirates Stadium following a penalty shootout.

The Pilgrims were at it again in the fourth round, while Brighton claimed a high-profile scalp themselves by coming from behind to see off Chelsea.

Elsewhere, Manchester City were given an almighty scare by League One’s Leyton Orient, falling behind to one of the goals and moments of the season before battling back to squeeze into Round Five.

The round of 16 kicked off with Aston Villa boosting their chances of a first major trophy since 1996, as they beat Cardiff 2-0 at Villa Park. This left Preston as the only second-tier representatives after they beat Championship rivals Burnley.

That weekend also saw Bournemouth’s dramatic shootout win over Wolves, with Boubacar Traore missing the all-important spot-kick before Luis Sinisterra sealed the Cherries’ place in the last eight.

Crystal Palace joined them courtesy of their 3-1 win over Millwall, which was overshadowed by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s sickening injury, which put the Frenchman in hospital, where he required stitches.

Plymouth were on their way to another big upset, but only led for seven minutes at Manchester City before the Premier League champions eventually came back to win.

Another dramatic afternoon followed as Brighton saw off Newcastle in extra-time thanks to Danny Welbeck’s winner in a game which saw both sides reduced to 10, while Fulham prevailed on penalties at Old Trafford, with Bernd Leno saving from Joshua Zirkzee and Victor Lindelof.

The quarter-finals saw all the away sides prevail, with Bournemouth the only losing side to get on the scoresheet before bowing out.

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa – who will meet in the semi-finals – secured comfortable victories on the road, while Nottingham Forest and Manchester City needed to rely on penalties and super subs respectively to overcome their last-eight opponents.

First round

Second round

Date

Home team

v

Away team

Fri 29th Nov

Harrogate

1-0

Gainsborough Trinity

Sat 30th Nov

Wealdstone

0-2

Wycombe

Sat 30th Nov

Accrington

2-2**

Swindon

**Accrington won 4-1 on penalties

Sat 30th Nov

Barnsley

0-0**

Bristol Rovers

**Bristol Rovers won 4-3 on penalties

Sat 30th Nov

Cambridge

1-2*

Wigan

*after extra time

Sat 30th Nov

Crawley

3-4

Lincoln

Sat 30th Nov

Exeter

2-0

Chesterfield

Sat 30th Nov

Leyton Orient

2-1*

Oldham

*after extra time

Sat 30th Nov

Morecambe

1-0

Bradford

Sat 30th Nov

Peterborough

4-3

Notts County

Sat 30th Nov

Salford

2-0

Cheltenham

Sat 30th Nov

Stevenage

0-1

Mansfield

Sat 30th Nov

Stockport

3-1

Brackley

Sat 30th Nov

Walsall

0-4

Charlton

Sat 30th Nov

AFC Wimbledon

1-2

Dag & Red

Sun 1st Dec

Kettering

1-2*

Doncaster

*after extra time

Sun 1st Dec

Blackpool

1-2

Birmingham

Sun 1st Dec

Burton

1-1**

Tamworth

**Tamworth won 4-3 on penalties

Sun 1st Dec

Reading

5-3*

Harborough Town

*after extra time

Sun 1st Dec

Solihull

1-2

Bromley

Third round

Fourth round

Fifth round

Quarter-finals

Round dates

The fourth round will take place on the second weekend in February, with subsequent rounds being held throughout the year, as detailed in the table below. Actual fixture dates are subject to change depending on TV selections. Draws are usually held following the last match of the round, though this can vary due to TV schedules.

FA Cup prize money

The FA will give out over £22m in prize money over the course of the 2024/25 season. Any non-league clubs who make it through from the first round of qualifying to the first round proper could pocket around £23,000, while if a Premier League or Championship club was to go all the way, they’d be better off to the tune of £5.41m.

How to watch the FA Cup on TV

In the UK, broadcasting rights for the FA Cup are shared between the BBC and ITV. Throughout the season, the BBC will show 18 live matches, while ITV is committed to broadcasting 20 games from the competition.

In the US, FA Cup games are broadcast live on ESPN, with ESPN+ streaming a selection of fixtures across the duration of the tournament.

Recent years have seen BBC and ITV share coverage of the final, while a new broadcasting deal is set to take effect next year, which will see BBC and TNT Sports share coverage of the competition.