Football writer Ben Bloom picks out the key talking points and players ahead of Nottingham Forest v Manchester City, as one of them looks to join Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final following their 3-0 win against Aston Villa.
The FA Cup semi-finals have a very unusual look this season, given they feature only one club that has lifted the trophy during the past 65 years — Manchester City.
Nottingham Forest last won the FA Cup in the 1950s, while Crystal Palace have never claimed a major trophy.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's match at Wembley.
Semi-finalists' history in FA Cup
| Club | Last won FA Cup | Last FA Cup final | Last major trophy |
| Man City | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nott'm Forest | 1959 | 1991 | 1990 |
| Crystal Palace | - | 2016 | - |
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City
Sunday 27 April, 16:30 (BST)
Trophy history
Although they have twice won the FA Cup (in 1897/98 and 1958/59), this is Forest’s first semi-final appearance in the competition for more than 30 years.
Their last major trophy came in the 1989/90 EFL Cup, with the 1970s and 1980s yielding seven pieces of silverware, including two European Cups.
This season, they have made history as the first team to win three penalty shootouts in a single FA Cup campaign.
Unlike the three other semi-finalists, reigning Premier League champions Man City are accustomed to winning trophies.
City have only gone without major silverware in three of the past 14 seasons - and this weekend marks their seventh consecutive appearance in an FA Cup semi-final.
2024/25 meetings
These two sides have shared the spoils in the Premier League this campaign, with Man City running out 3-0 winners at home in December and Forest triumphing 1-0 in last month’s reverse fixture.
TV Info - Broadcasters
TV Info - Broadcasters
Recent form
An unbeaten run of eight matches across December and January gave Forest a buffer in their efforts to secure UEFA Champions League qualification, hence they are still in the top five despite their mixed results of late.
They bounced back from defeats against Villa and Everton to win at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
Since losing to Forest in early March, City have embarked on their trademark strong finish under Guardiola, stretching their current unbeaten run to seven matches.
An injury-time winner against Villa on Tuesday put them third in the Premier League table – their highest position since November.
Key player
Chris Wood, Nottingham Forest: Enjoying the season of his life aged 33, Wood has 19 Premier League goals so far in 2024/25 and is a big factor in Forest's surprise European challenge. After a club drought dating back to mid-February, combined with a spell sidelined through injury, he returned to the scoresheet in Monday’s 2-1 victory at Spurs.
Kevin De Bruyne, Man City: Although not a regular starter this season, the Belgian has made Pep Guardiola’s last four Premier League starting XIs. He will be desperate to end his City career with a final trophy after confirming his departure from the club this summer. De Bruyne showed he still retains his abilities with a wonderful showing against Palace earlier this month.
De Bruyne's stunning free-kick v Palace
How FA Cup could affect Europe
The FA Cup winners receive a place in the UEFA Europa League, something of great interest to Palace, who have never played in a major European competition, and Forest, who last played European football in 1995/96.
Man City (third) and Forest (fourth) are hoping to qualify for the UEFA Champions League via the Premier League. Should they achieve that and win the FA Cup, their Europa League place for the latter would be passed to the next-highest team who have not already qualified for Europe.
