Football Weekly: Guts and goals galore in the fight for the title

With just two weeks left of the Premier League season, it’s still all to play for at the top. Chelsea went goal crazy (again) to stay in control, but Manchester United put in a gut-wrenching performance – at least for Patrice Evra and Nani – to beat Tottenham Hotspur to stay in the hunt. James Richardson and his Football Weekly chums are here to analyse it all.

Spurs remain favourites to finish fourth – especially now Manchester City’s Champions League aspirations are held in the hands of the finest goalkeeper in the Faroe Islands – but Aston Vila are still in with a shout, and could Liverpool sneak into fourth after all? Merseyside’s Gregg Roughley tells us how it is (la), and John Ashdown urges a bit of caution wihout resorting to the words ‘calm’ or ‘down’.


Rafa Honigstein
brings us news from Germany, where Bayern Munich face an injury crisis ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Lyon, and Hamburg travel to Fulham in the Europa League with a new manager and a leaky defence. Meanwhile Sid Lowe gives us the skinny on Barcelona’s plans to beat Internazionale, and Atlético Madrid’s chances of keeping Liverpoool quiet at Anfield.

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James RichardsonBen GreenRaphael HonigsteinJohn AshdownGregg RoughleySid Lowe

Football Weekly podcast: Portsmouth reach the FA Cup final

James Richardson and the Football Weekly crew return to analyse Portsmouth’s triumph in the FA Cup. Administrators permiting, they’ll meet Chelsea in the final, but what now for beaten semi-finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa? Meanwhile, Barry Glendenning points green fingers as he explains why Wembley stadium – which didn’t leave much change from a billion quid, remember – has such a terrible pitch.

Turning our attention to the Premier League, Owen Gibson gives his thoughts on the title race, the relegation battle between Hull City and Burnley, and that potential dry run of the European final between Liverpool and Fulham.

Finally, Paolo Bandini muses on a momentus weekend in Serie A, with Roma knocking Internazionale off the top, while Sid Lowe reflects on a super Clásico that was neither super nor classic, but saw Barcelona humiliate Real Madrid all the same. For entertainment, he urges you to look at this goal instead.

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James RichardsonBen GreenSean IngleBarry GlendenningOwen GibsonPaolo BandiniSid Lowe

FA confirms dates and times for FA Cup semi-final ties at Wembley

• Chelsea will face Aston Villa on 10 April with 5pm kick-off
• Portsmouth take on Fulham or Tottenham on 11 April from 4pm

The Football Association has confirmed the kick-off times and dates for next month’s FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

The games had already been set for the weekend of 10-11 April, but the FA has now revealed when the ties will be played.

Chelsea’s encounter with Aston Villa is the first semi-final and will take place on Saturday, 10 April at 5pm.

The weekend’s other tie sees Portsmouth face Tottenham or Fulham – who will replay their quarter-final on 24 March following their goalless draw at Craven Cottage – with that game taking place on Sunday, 11 April at 4pm.

ChelseaAston VillaPortsmouthFulhamTottenham HotspurFA Cupguardian.co.uk