London (AFP)

An empty Wembley stadium for two gala matches: Manchester City will face Arsenal on Saturday (8:45 p.m.), then Manchester United and Chelsea will face each other on Sunday (7:00 p.m.) in the semifinals of the FA Cup.

The first of these two duels between Mancunian and London clubs, City-Arsenal, will sound the reunion between Pep Guardiola, coach of the Citizens, and his former assistant Mikel Arteta, now on the Gunners' bench. The two have clashed once since Arteta's arrival in London in December for a 3-0 Mancunian win last month.

The recent clashes between the two clubs are also clearly to the advantage of City, winner of the last seven games with 20 goals scored and only 2 conceded.

Manchester City will also play the spirit probably released by the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal for Sport (CAS), which lifted Tuesday the ban on the club to participate in the European cups for the next two seasons.

"No one can understand how difficult it was to be suspected. Now that we have proven in court (our innocence), we are going back to the field," Pep Guardiola reacted on Tuesday.

But Arsenal, outdistanced in the league (9th), will aim for a second surprise victory this week after its 2-1 success against champion Liverpool on Wednesday. Even though the London goals came from two unusual mistakes by the Reds' captain Virgil Van Dijk and their goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Sunday, the other semi-final, Chelsea-Manchester United, will oppose two clubs in great shape lately ... and two direct competitors for third place in the Premier League.

- Open the counter -

Chelsea, winner of 7 of its 8 matches played since the resumption of the championship in mid-June, is 3rd in the championship, a point ahead of Manchester United, which remains for its part on 14 victories and 5 draws in all competitions since its surprise defeat against Burnley January 22.

Sunday's game could allow its winner to gain a slight psychological edge in this race for 3rd place. For the moment, the advantage is with the Mancuniens, winners of the three oppositions between the two clubs this season.

And the duel has already started in the press, Mancunian coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having judged that it was "not fair" that Chelsea have two additional days of rest. The Blues played in the league on Tuesday, the Red Devils on Thursday.

"It's not a question of advantage," said Blues coach Frank Lampard on Friday. "Sometimes it works in your favor to play regularly, so no, I don't see (the advantage)," he continued at a press conference.

The FA Cup also represents a great opportunity for the coaches of the two clubs to win their first trophy at the head of their respective teams.

Solskjaer, who arrived in Manchester in December 2018, like Frank Lampard, legendary Blues midfielder before becoming a coach last summer, have not yet won anything on the English benches. For the two young coaches, like Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, the FA Cup is an opportunity to open the counter.

An exception among the semi-finalist coaches, Pep Guardiola: arrived in Manchester City in 2016, he has already won eight trophies with the Citizens. And, in total, almost 30 since his beginnings as a coach.

© 2020 AFP