Fa Cup Semi Final Draw: Chelsea’s Wembley wait and the next step after a 7-0 statement
The fa cup semi final draw comes with Chelsea still carrying the momentum of Saturday’s 7-0 victory over Port Vale, a result that sent the club into the last four and shifted attention toward Wembley. The next opponent will be confirmed on Sunday evening after the quarter-final between West Ham United and Leeds United.
When does the Fa Cup Semi Final Draw take place?
The draw is scheduled for Sunday 5 April at the London Stadium, after West Ham United meet Leeds United in the final quarter-final. Kick-off for that match is 4. 30pm ET, and the draw is expected about 15 minutes after full-time. If the match goes beyond 90 minutes, the timing will move later.
For Chelsea, the timing matters because the club already knows the shape of what is ahead: a place at Wembley in the next round and a weekend date in the semi-finals. The fa cup semi final draw will decide whether that route leads to Southampton, Manchester City, or the winner of West Ham United versus Leeds United.
How can supporters follow the draw live?
Supporters in the UK can watch the draw live on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max, and the TNT Sports YouTube channel. It will be presented by Becky Ives and Ally McCoist, with McCoist set to pull out the numbers.
For fans, this is not just a procedural moment. It is the point where the competition becomes more tangible, when a team’s path shifts from possibility to a specific opponent, a specific day, and a specific emotional burden. Chelsea’s ball number is 2, while the other numbers are 1 for Southampton, 3 for Manchester City, and 4 for West Ham United or Leeds United.
What does Chelsea’s route tell us about the wider competition?
Saturday’s win over Port Vale was decisive. Jorrel Hato scored after 63 seconds, Joao Pedro added a first-half goal, and Cole Palmer’s effort was credited as a Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel own goal. In the second half, Tosin Adarabioyo headed in a fourth, Andrey Santos added a fifth, Estevao Willian scored the sixth, and Alejandro Garnacho completed the scoring from a late penalty he had won moments earlier.
The wider picture is just as striking. Manchester City reached the last four after a 4-0 win over Liverpool. Southampton advanced after Arsenal were eliminated. The draw now brings together teams with very different routes to this stage, but the same immediate goal: one place in the final.
That is what gives the fa cup semi final draw its tension. It is not only about names on paper. It is about how quickly a heavy win can turn into a more difficult question: who stands between Chelsea and Wembley, and how demanding will that next step be?
What happens after the draw?
The semi-finals will be played at Wembley on the weekend of Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April, with one semi-final expected on each day. That schedule gives the teams a clear target and leaves little time for hesitation.
For Chelsea, the picture is now simple: a convincing quarter-final has earned a place in the last four, and the fa cup semi final draw will define the next test. On Sunday evening, the noise around the competition will narrow to one question in east London, then widen again across Wembley.
