• FA Cup semi-final preview

Villa look to avenge brutal defeat

It's FA Cup semi-final time as Aston Villa look to avenge their humiliating loss at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, while Harry Redknapp faces his former crisis-stricken club.

Aston Villa v Chelsea
Villa head into the semi-final with their 7-1 thrashing in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge still fresh in the mind. The last time these two met in the FA Cup, which was also at Wembley, Roberto Di Matteo scored the only goal as Chelsea won the final in 2000.

Martin O'Neill's side have already tasted defeat at Wembley this season, losing 2-1 to Manchester United in the Carling Cup final in February. But O'Neill has revealed the determination of his side to reach their second final of the season and avenge that defeat.

"The appetite for this game is even stronger having been to Wembley once this season. It is a great incentive for us. We lost the Carling Cup final and you could see by the second-half performance in the FA Cup quarter-final at Reading that there was a renewed determination to get back there again," he said.

James Milner is expected to recover from a slight Achilles injury which forced him to be rested at the weekend. Chelsea have confirmed they will recall Didier Drogba to their starting XI after the Ivory Coast striker began the game at Old Trafford on the bench.

Tottenham v Portsmouth
Harry Redknapp faces his former club on Sunday, two years after leading them to FA Cup glory. In their two Premier League meetings this season, Spurs have been victorious in both but, while Pompey contemplate relegation from the top flight, their impressive cup run should make for a cracking affair.

Spurs, who are making their first semi-final appearance since 2001, should welcome back Jermain Defoe after the striker came on in the defeat at Sunderland. Aaron Lennon has given the club a timely boost by returning to training but this fixture may be a game too soon for the winger.

Portsmouth must contend with a lengthy injury list as Avram Grant tries to give the fans something to cheer about. Both Hermann Hreidarsson and Danny Webber are out for the rest of the season but David James should be available after recovering from a calf strain. Papa Boupa Diop and Hassan Yebda are still out while Tommy Smith and Tal Ben Haim face late fitness tests.

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