The FA Cup semi-finals take centre stage this weekend with Championship side Millwall playing Premier League strugglers Wigan this evening and Chelsea face Manchester City tomorrow.
Both semi-finals will be played at Wembley Stadium.
Wigan and Millwall will be doing everything in their power to reach the final.
For Wigan, a semi-final appearance is already their best-ever placing in the competition since bowing out in the quarter-finals stage in 1987 following a home upset to Leeds United.
In the last four years, Wigan have always flirted with relegation but each time they managed to pull through to preserve their top-flight status.
Millwall are 15th in the Championship, ten points adrift of the play-offs zone but in safe waters and away from relegation places. Perhaps, the eight defeats at The Den this season have cost Millwall an opportunity to challenge for promotion.
The Lions are managed by Kenny Jackett, a former Wales international. He is the longest-serving boss in the Championship after taking over in November 2007.
The last time Millwall and Wigan played against each other in the FA Cup was in January 1935. On that occasion Millwall won 4-1 away.
Buoyed by their quarter-final replay win over Manchester United, Chelsea will be determined to go on and defend the trophy they won last year.
For City, the FA Cup remains their only chance of silverware this season.
Chelsea are third in the league standings, seven points adrift of City. Besides their involvement in the FA Cup, on Thursday Rafa Benitez’s team reached the semi-finals of the Europa League after ousting Russian side Rubin Kazan.
This season, City and Chelsea first met in the Community Shield at Villa Park with the Citizens emerging 3-2 winners.
In November, they clashed again at Stamford Bridge in the league and shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw. At the Etihad Stadium, in February, City beat Chelsea 2-0.
If Manchester City, all but assured of a place in the top four, were to eliminate Chelsea tomorrow it would mean Millwall or Wigan play in the Europa League next season regardless of the result in the FA Cup final next month.
Meanwhile, a chastening home defeat to Manchester City has given Premier League leaders Manchester United all the incentive they need to win against Stoke City tomorrow and move closer to sealing a 20th English league title.
Champions City cut United’s lead to 12 points after Monday’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford, though with seven games remaining the Premier League trophy appears destined to be prised from their grasp by their neighbours.
City manager Roberto Mancini has already conceded the title to United but a fired-up Stoke, dragged into a relegation battle by a dismal run of form, will be desperate to take at least a point from Alex Ferguson’s men tomorrow.
Fixtures and forecast
Fa Cup Semi-Finals
Millwall-Wigan (18:15) 2
Tomorrow:
Chelsea-Man. City (17:00) 1
Premier League
Arsenal-Norwich 1
Aston Villa-Fulham X
Everton-QPR1
Reading-Liverpool X
Southampton-West Ham X
Tomorrow:
Chelsea-Tottenham (17:00) 2
Newcastle-Sunderland (13:00) 1
Stoke-Man. United (15:05) 2
Standings: Man. United 77; Man. City 65; Chelsea, Tottenham 58; Arsenal 56; Everton 52; Liverpool 49; West Brom 44; Swansea 41; Fulham 39; Southampton, West Ham 37; Newcastle 36; Norwich 35; Stoke City 34; Aston Villa 33; Sunderland, Wigan 31; QPR 24; Reading 23.
The Championship
Barnsley-Charlton 1
Blackburn-Derby X
Blackpool-Burnley 1
Bristol City-Bolton 2
Cardiff-N. Forest 1
Ipswich-Hull City X
Leeds-Sheffield Wed. (13:30) X
Middlesbrough-Brighton X
Peterborough-Watford 2
Wolves-Huddersfield 1
League One
Brentford-Portsmouth 1
Bury-Oldham X
Carlisle-PrestonX
Crawley-Coventry 1
Crewe-Doncaster 2
Leyton Orient-MK Dons X
Notts Co-Colchester 1
Scunthorpe-Walsall 2
Sheffield Utd-Swindon 1
Shrewsbury-Bournemouth 2
Stevenage-Yeovil 2
Tranmere-Hartlepool 1
League Two
AFC Wimbledon-Exeter X
Burton-Plymouth 1
Cheltenham-Gillingham X
Chesterfield-Bradford City 1
Dagenham-Oxford 1
Northampton-York 1
Rochdale-Port Vale 2
Rotherham-Fleetwood 1
Southend-Bristol Rovers X
Torquay-Barnet 1
Wycombe-Aldershot 1
Scottish FA Cup SFs
Hibernian-Falkirk (13:30) 1
Tomorrow:
Dundee Utd-Celtic (13:45) 2
Hot Four
Arsenal, Everton, Barnsley and Wolves.