FA Cup Semi Final Weekend: Best Bets and Offer

While the Premier League action continues apace, with significant fixtures at both ends of the table, this weekend the headline fixtures take place under the famous Wembley Arch. It’s FA Cup semi-final time, as only four teams remain in the oldest club competition in the world.

Southampton are the last non-Premier League club standing but face a titanic task to overcome Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, while, once-again-managerless, Chelsea tackle old rivals Leeds United in the second semi-final. Here, using data presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out our best bets in the two games and highlight a selection of standout welcome offers ahead of the action.

Best Betting Sites and Offers for the FA Cup Semi Finals

With the climax of the Premier League season, Champions League Final, and, of course, the FA Cup Final all still to come, spring is a busy time of year for football betting fans. And in 2026, the entertainment doesn’t end with the domestic and European club season. Looming large over the summer sporting schedule is the prospect of the biggest edition of the FIFA World Cup in history.

With so much on offer, many punters are taking the opportunity to add a new betting site or two to their portfolio. As ever, there are many excellent operators from which to select, but the following all earn the newbettingsites.uk seal of approval, provide a top-class football betting product, and offer an eye-catching welcome offer.

• All British Sports - Bet £10 and Get £10 in Free Bets – Exclusive offer for newbettingsites.uk readers
• Midnite - Bet £10 and Get £30 in Free Bets
• BresBet - Bet £10 and Get a £10 Free Bet
• Bet MGM - Bet £10 and Get £40 in Free Bets
• 247Bet - Get a 100% Bonus up to £50

Manchester City vs Southampton – Saturday, 25 April, 5:15pm

For much of the season, 2025/26 threatened to be an unmemorable affair for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Fast forward to April, and the Citizens are only a few wins away from a seemingly improbable treble. With the Carabao Cup safely locked up in the Etihad trophy cabinet and top spot in the Premier League regained, City are also warm favourites to lift the FA Cup. Standing between City and a third successive appearance in the final are a resurgent Southampton outfit.

On paper, the Saints ought to be no match for the Premier League giants. However, the South Coast club have emerged as a side reborn following the appointment of young German manager Tonda Eckert. No one gave Southampton much of a chance in the quarters, but the Championship club produced an excellent display to dump Arsenal out of the competition at St. Mary’s. Following a midweek draw with Bristol City, the Saints head to Wembley unbeaten in their last twenty fixtures.

As likeable as Southampton are under Eckert, it is tough to predict an upset. Just as they so often do at the business end of the season, Manchester City appear to have found peak form when it matters most. That said, Southampton are playing with a certain swagger and freedom at present and are unlikely to wilt in the face of technically superior opposition. We expect the outsiders to take the game to City when in possession, pose a threat on the break, and display typical aggression when out of possession. When taken together, those factors sway us towards the overs in the goals and cards markets.

• Recommended Bet - Over 3.5 Goals @ 21/20 with BresBet
• Recommended Bet - Over 3.5 Cards @ 5/4 with BetMGM

Chelsea vs Leeds United – Sunday, 26 April, 3pm

Football is full of surprises, but Chelsea sacking their manager isn’t one of them. Appearing doomed from the moment of his appointment in January, Liam Rosenior made it as far as April before receiving his marching orders. Hardly ideal preparation ahead of a fixture which may define the club’s season. In Rosenior’s absence, under-23s coach Calum McFarlane will take charge ahead of this showdown with Daniel Farke’s Leeds United.

Following a fair start under Rosenior, Chelsea’s form has fallen off a cliff of late. Ahead of Sunday’s fixture, the Blues have lost seven of their last eight fixtures in all competitions, with the only bright spot being a 7-0 thrashing of League 1 outfit Port Vale. In contrast to their beleaguered opponents, Leeds arrive in excellent form. Unbeaten in seven, they followed a famous win at Old Trafford with a 3-0 victory over Wolves and a rock-solid draw at high-flying Bournemouth.

This season’s meetings between the sides also favour Leeds, with The Whites beating Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road in December and earning a point in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in February.

So far, so positive for Leeds, and yet Chelsea are favourites to progress. No doubt that on a player-by-player basis, the expensively assembled Londoners have the measure of Leeds. But as Rosenior and those before him have illustrated, creating a functional eleven from this billion-pound squad isn’t as straightforward as it ought to be. With stability, current form, and recent head-to-head in their favour, Leeds are too big to ignore in the 90 minutes market.

If, as we expect, Chelsea struggle in this encounter, it would be no surprise to see the frustration of recent weeks boil over. Managerless, rudderless, and out of form, if Chelsea find themselves chasing the game, the cards could mount up. Take over 2.5 cards for the Blues with a small stake on a red card being shown in the game – Chelsea’s total of seven red cards in the Premier League this season is three more than any other side.

• Recommended Bet - Leeds United to win in 90 minutes @ 12/5 with BetMGM
• Recommended Bet - Chelsea over 2.5 cards @ 31/20 with BetMGM
• Recommended Bet - Sending off in Match @ 18/5 with BetMGM