Double hopes alive

Chelsea, Arsenal set up FA Cup final derby

Gianluca Festa's mistake put the Gunners into the final. Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

LONDON (Reuters) -- Chelsea set up an English FA Cup final clash against London rivals Arsenal after edging past Fulham 1-0 in the second semifinal on Sunday.

Arsenal, seven-times winners and last season's runners-up, progressed to their 15th final when they overcame Middlesbrough 1-0 in the other last-four match.

But both Chelsea and Arsenal, the favorites who struggled to find their best form, had to rely on fortuitous winning goals to book their places in the May 4 showpiece at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Chelsea defender John Terry's close range-shot after 42 minutes at Villa Park was deflected home off the boot of Fulham striker Louis Saha.

Earlier at Old Trafford, a 39th-minute own goal by Boro defender Gianluca Festa -- seven minutes after the Italian had come on as substitute for the injured Ugo Ehiogu -- maintained Arsenal's hopes of securing a second premier league and Cup Double in four years.

The final will be a London derby for the first time since Tottenham Hotspur beat Queens Park Rangers after a replay in 1982.

It was far from a vintage performance by the north London club, who had to withstand a nervy finish and some concerted pressure from a Middlesbrough team deprived of the suspended Paul Ince and the cup-tied Benito Carbone.

"It was very tense, and you have to compliment Middlesbrough for that," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports television.

"They never let us get into our fluent game... we were a little bit lucky but I thought we showed a great deal of character and commitment to come through it."

Bright start

After Boro's bright start, Festa, attempting to clear a corner, only succeeded in slicing the ball past goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Arsenal's French internationals Sylvain Wiltord and Thierry Henry missed glorious chances to put the game out of reach early in the second half, and after defender Sol Campbell was stretchered off with a hamstring injury on 57 minutes the Highbury club were on the back foot.

Boro's Dean Windass had a header cleared off the line in the 60th minute, but France midfielder Patrick Vieira became a makeshift centre-back to hold Arsenal together in the closing stages.

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren, whose team had not conceded a goal in the FA Cup this season before Festa's blemish, refused to be downhearted.

Boro pride

"I've told the players to be proud of themselves and to hold their heads up high," McClaren said.

"It's disappointing, but we've competed with a great team like Arsenal for 90 minutes and not had any luck.

"We gave them a goal and just couldn't create a real defining moment for ourselves, but I could not have asked for any more from my team."

Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright, who has been preferred to England's number one David Seaman in the FA Cup this season, is hoping his performance will guarantee a starting place in the final.

"Hopefully, I've done enough," he said. "It was nervous at the end but e were confident of keeping a clean sheet."

Arsenal defender Martin Keown paid tribute to Boro, but immediately set his sights on making up for last season's agonizing Cup final defeat by Liverpool, when the Gunners conceded two late goals to lose 2-1.

"Middlesbrough gave us a hard time, they had a game plan and stuck to it well...but it's a great day for our club and the fans," Keown said.

"Now we owe it to the supporters to go one better than last year."

Arsenal lead the premier league by one point from Liverpool and also have five league matches remaining.

"Obviously, this [victory] takes us a step closer to the Double," their veteran defender Lee Dixon said. "It would be a great achievement, but there's still a lot to do." Reds take second

In Saturday's Premier League action, Liverpool stayed in title contention with a 1-0 victory at struggling Sunderland, Michael Owen scoring with a neat chip over the head of home goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

The result lifted Gerard Houllier's team above defending champion Manchester United to within a point of the Gunners although Wenger's men have a game in hand with time running out.

Bobby Robson's Newcastle's came from two goals down to win 3-2 at next to last Derby County to strengthen its chances of holding onto fourth place and a Champions Cup spot next season. The Rams led 2-0 with 17 minutes to go but the loss now means almost certain relegation.

The Magpies have a three points advantage over its rivals for fourth place, Chelsea and Leeds, and the bonus of a game in hand. With Chelsea away on cup business, Leeds moved closer with a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa thanks to an early strike by Mark Viduka.

Other results were Charlton 1, Southampton 1; Everton 2, Leicester 2; Tottenham 1, West Ham 1.

In Sunday's division one game, Wolves edged Wimbledon 1-0 to stay in contention for the second automatic promotion spot behind runaway champion Manchester City.

Nathan Blake's 23rd minute header earned Dave Jones' team the three points which means it is a point behind neighbor West Bromwich Albion with just a game to go. Next week, Wolves goes to Sheffield Wednesday while West Brom, which made up 11 points in a month to overtake its neighbor, hosts Crystal Palace.

Monday could be D-day in English TV payments row

A television rights payments row which threatens the financial futures of many English soccer clubs looks set to take a significant turn on Monday.

The High Court in London is scheduled to hear what administrators plan to do with pay-TV venture ITV Digital amid fears that it could be wound up unless a multi-million pound contract dispute with the English Football League is resolved.

Sources told Reuters on Sunday that the administrators would decide by Monday whether to seek further funding from ITV Digital's owners Granada and Carlton Communications to keep the joint venture running a little longer or opt for liquidation.

The decision depends on the League's response to a revised offer.

ITV Digital called in administrators on March 27 after failing to renegotiate a 315 million pound ($452 million) broadcast deal with the Football League comprising the 72 professional clubs below the elite 20-team Premier League.

The company has said it cannot afford to pay the remaining 178.5 million pounds it owes the League, while the League has threatened to sue ITV Digital and its owners for 500 million pounds if they do not reach a deal.

The League has insisted ITV Digital must pay 89.25 million pounds -- half of the outstanding sum -- by August. It says it would then be willing to negotiate on the final payment.

The undisclosed new offer comes after the League had rejected an offer of 60 million pounds for the contract last week. ITV Digital had originally wanted to pay just 50 million pounds in total.

Granada and Carlton were due to pull the plug on their joint venture by Monday.

If the two sides fail to reach on an agreement, ITV Digital could be liquidated or sold, which would stop the drain on Carlton and Granada and leave its 1.26 million customers up for grabs.

Many clubs in the lower division rely on the television money to balance their books.

 

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Reuters contributed to this report.