This weekend's sports preview is so busy that it's in three parts. The first part deals with all things football including the FA Cup semi finals.
After last season’s competition, where three of the four FA Cup semi finalists represented the Championship, this time the Cup has gone to form.
Three of the Big Four will contest the semi-finals this weekend with David Moyes’ sixth-placed Everton as the only ‘outsider’.
The Toffees will be hoping to repeat their infamous upset of 1995 when they meet Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday at 4pm.
Paul Rideout scored the only goal of the game as Everton won 1-0 and left United empty-handed for that season while Joe Royle remains the last English manager to win the Cup.
Everton would have fancied their chances even more a couple of weeks ago as United suffered successive league defeats to Liverpool and Fulham.
But Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have since enjoyed wins against Aston Villa and Sunderland. They also made progress to the Champions League semis with an impressive away win at FC Porto in midweek.
The other semi-final is an all-London affair between Chelsea and Arsenal on Saturday at 5.15pm. Both teams, like United, celebrated their qualification for the Champions League semis in midweek.
Arsenal stormed to a 4-1 aggregate success against Villarreal after a welcome return to top form by Theo Walcott.
Chelsea’s European semi-final was far less straight-forward as they knocked out Liverpool 7-5 on aggregate after an amazing 4-4 match.
Arsenal won the Cup three times between 2002 and 2005 but are looking to make their first final in four years. Chelsea won the first new Wembley final against United in 2007.
In the Premier League, the struggle at the bottom continues with north east trio Sunderland, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough looking most at risk.
Middlesbrough (19th, 30 points) beat Hull City 3-1 last weekend at home and can follow up that vital win with another in their home match against Fulham.
The Cottagers, safely in mid-table, have won their last two away matches, having not won any prior to that.
Unlike Boro, Portsmouth (14th, 34 points) did not make the most of their home advantage against West Bromwich Albion last week in a 2-2 draw.
But they get an immediate chance for redemption at Fratton Park against Bolton Wanderers who are 12th on 37 points despite failing to win away since November.
Stoke City (13th, 36 points) also drew at home against fellow-strugglers Newcastle. The Potters face another home relegation clash against Blackburn Rovers (16th, 34 points) this weekend.
And Sunderland (17th, 32 points) will look to ease their relegation worries by ensuring Hull City (15th, 34 points) suffer a second successive loss in the north east.
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa will extend their lead over Everton in fifth to four points by beating seventh-placed West Ham United.
On Sunday, Spurs will take advantage of any Hammers slip-up by moving into seventh if they beat Newcastle (18th, 30 points) for the first time at home in three seasons.
Newcastle have won their last two matches at White Hart Lane 3-2 and 4-1 respectively and must have gained some confidence from Andy Carroll’s late headed equaliser against Stoke.
Mid-table Manchester City’s season effectively ended on Thursday after their loss in the Uefa Cup against Hamburg.
They will entertain West Brom (20th, 25 points) who barely breathed life into their own season in the 2-2 draw at Portsmouth last weekend.
In the Championship, Wolverhampton Wanderers fans will expect to gain at least the point they need for promotion against Queens Park Rangers at home.
At the other end, Charlton Athletic are hanging on by a mathematically miracle and might still go down even if they beat Blackpool at home.
In League One, Leicester City only need one point in their away match at Southend United to gain promotion back to the second tier.
But the struggle to beat the drop for Hereford United and Cheltenham Town might end in failure.
Finally, in the Blue Square Premier, Burton Albion can win the championship and promotion to the league with just a point against Oxford United at home tonight.
All the other football league and Blue Square Premier issues will remain undecided this weekend.
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