Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa at Wembley: How to watch FA Cup semi-final on TV and live stream

It’s nearly time for the main event every Aston Villa and Crystal Palace fan has been yearning for as the two teams commence battle under the famous arch at Wembley Stadium this Saturday.

Villa make their first visit to the home of football since their 2020 League Cup final loss to Manchester City, while Palace are back to prove a point after being defeated by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals back in 2022.

The Premier League season may be exhilarating - especially for Villa fans as they are firmly in the fight for Champions League qualification - but there’s nothing quite like going to Wembley with your team. There’s a great chance for major silverware, too, as the winner of this clash will earn a spot in the FA Cup final against either Man City or Nottingham Forest.

Villa will be joined by over 35,000 supporters at Wembley after selling out their full allocation of the east side of the stadium in style. Palace, in the west, have also sold out of tickets for the encounter. The rest of Wembley’s 90,000 capacity is shared out in hospitality and corporate tickets.

Unai Emery will be determined to get revenge against Palace, who have proven to be quite the bogey team in the past 12 months. Emery won his first two meetings with Palace by 1-0 and 3-1 scorelines but has since failed to win any of the last four, losing three and drawing one. Two of the defeats have been hefty, too, with the most recent visits to Selhurst Park ending 5-0 and 4-1 to Palace.

Villa have played four matches to reach the last four of the FA Cup, beating West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Cardiff City and Preston North End. Palace have also played four, easing past Stockport County, Doncaster Rovers, Millwall and Fulham.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa on TV

For those not able to make it to Wembley but keen on watching the game nonetheless, it will be aired live and free to watch on BBC One with a valid TV licence. Coverage will get underway with pre-match build-up commencing at 4.45pm ahead of the scheduled kick-off time of 5.15pm.

Gary Lineker, Match of the Day’s host for the past 25 years, has been listed as the main presenter for the game, broadcasting live from Wembley.

Can I live stream the match?

Those keen to watch along from portable devices can do so via the BBC’s online service, BBC iPlayer. Supporters can either visit the BBC iPlayer website or download the dedicated app. Once again, a valid TV licence is required to tune in. A BBC account is also needed.

It’s also possible to watch after the coverage has ended if the kick-off time doesn’t suit you. This can also be done using BBC iPlayer, available on smart televisions, phones, tablets, laptops, computers, gaming consoles and more.

Read on, as Villa are set to receive several millions of windfall following Leeds United and Burnley’s promotion to the Premier League.