Chelsea drawn with Aston Villa in FA Cup semi-finals

• Portsmouth face Tottenham or Fulham in other tie
• Tough tie for the Cup holders

Chelsea were rewarded for their 2-0 victory over Stoke City in the FA Cup sixth round with a tough semi-final tie against Aston Villa.

Villa fought back from 2-0 down to defeat Reading 4-2 to reach the semi-final, their second appearance at Wembley this season after their Carling Cup final defeat.

“I think at this stage any tie will be tough,” said the Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins after the draw.

In the other semi-final Portsmouth will face the winner of the replay between Tottenham and Fulham.

The Spurs manager Harry Redknapp now has the incentive of a possible semi-final meeting with his former side whom he led to FA Cup glory in 2008.

The ties will be played on the weekend of 10 and 11 April at Wembley Stadium.

FA CupChelseaTottenham HotspurFulhamPortsmouthAston VillaJosh Widdicombeguardian.co.uk

Tuesday’s football transfer rumours: Angel di María to Chelsea?

Today’s extemporaneity would like a Geek Pie, please

Just as a bad workman always blames his tools, so a bad rumourmonger always blames his snouts. We’re not passing the buck, it was somebody else’s fault. Despite telling our team of hapless sniffers that we would cattle-prod them to within an inch of their future fatherhood prospects if they did not give us some premium juice this morning – Phil Brown to start an acid-skiffle group with Bez and Courtney Love, say, or Andrés Iniesta to Gillingham – we’re left drinking the same old watered-down rubbish. So let’s get on with it.

Chelsea are going to spend €40m to pip Barcelona and Real Madrid to the signing of the Benfica winger Angel di María, a man whose name sets the Mill in mind of Angel Delight and more innocent, benevolent times. Bananaman on TV, jumpers for goalposts, having our head flushed down the toilet twice a day by “Cropper” McNichol, being forced to sniff paint behind the bikesheds, silently weeping ourselves to sleep at night.

Everton’s manager David Moyes has told anyone who’ll listen that Jack Rodwell is going nowhere this summer. Given that Moyes is one of the hardest men ever to walk the earth, and once gave The Mill a prolonged attack of The Fear by simply making eye contact with us for 1.42 seconds, we’ll take his word for it.

In an attempt to get a greater grasp of the English culture, and having completely failed to understand the point of Loose Women and The One Show, Gianfranco Zola is planning to play a game of pass the “half-decent England goalkeeper” in the summer. If Robert Green decides to leave Upton Park, Zola will replace him with Joe Hart on a year-long loan, it says here.

Harry Redknapp is in the shower. And while he’s firmly scrubbing the luscious bubbles of Original Source Mint Shower Gel into his freshly waxed six-pack, he’s thinking about the 16-year-old Zambian left-back Emmanuel Mbola, who he wants to sign for £1m from Armenian side Yerevan. That actually sounds a bit Didier Baptiste to us, but our crack team of grizzled Armenian snouts assure us otherwise. In fact Mbola has already played 20 times for his country, having won his first cap as a foetus.

Oh, and Ashley Cole nearly swerved off whatever the Chelsea equivalent of the North Circular is when he learned he would be disciplined by Chelsea for reportedly doing extra training in his hotel room bedroom during away trips. He was just keeping fit! Cole may do one to Barcelona or Real Madrid as a consequence. “Ashley is having a rough time at the moment,” said a source. “If he and Cheryl get divorced, why would he want to stay in this country?” Loose Women?

ChelseaTottenham HotspurEvertonHarry RedknappDavid MoyesBenficaRob Smythguardian.co.uk

Football Weekly podcast: Everton turn on the style and the race for fourth

The little big man is back! Yes, James Richardson returns to lead the Football Weekly team – that’s Messrs Ashdown, Ronay, and Duarte to you – in its latest battle with mediocrity (aka 6-0-6).

This week, having shown Manchester United a thing or two about free-flowing football, we’re asking whether Everton have the best midfield in the Premier League? Plus, after Manchester City and Liverpool played out the dullest game of the season, we assess the chances of Aston Villa or Tottenham Hotspur clinching that final Champions League spot.

Speaking of which, Chelsea travel to Internazionale this week for a special date with the Special One in Europe’s premier club competition. How will John Terry, Didier Drogba, and co fare against their former boss, José Mourinho? Paolo Bandini pops in to share his thoughts.

Finally, Sid Lowe tells us why Cristiano Ronaldo may or may not be, to quote the NME, a godlike genius (and if he is, what would Richard Dawkins have to say about it?)

Have a listen and post your feedback on the blog below. For more, we’re also on iTunes, Facebook, and Twitter, and if you enjoy this type of thing, get your daily dose of fooball with our tea-time email, The Fiver.

Apologies for all the coughing …

James RichardsonSid LoweBen GreenFernando DuarteJohn AshdownBarney RonayPaolo Bandini