Talking Tayls with Ian Taylor

Villa favourite Ian Taylor believes all is certainly not lost as his former club look to upset the form book and reach the FA Cup final at the expense of Chelsea.

It might be Chelsea standing between Villa and the FA Cup final, but this competition still represents our best chance of success this season.

It's in situations like Saturday's Wembley FA Cup semi-final that Martin O'Neill must really earn his money. If you can turn a 7-1 thrashing by Chelsea into a victory over the same opponents just two weeks later, then that really is some feat.

But it's not impossible. It's been done before. Remember Crystal Palace beating Liverpool 4-3 in the FA Cup semis in the same season as they went down 9-0 to the Reds?

Confidence will be fragile, there's no doubt about it, but there is a great character about this Villa side. Who would have backed them to win at Old Trafford this season? But they went and did it – for the first time in 26 years.

In a strange way, Chelsea could be the ideal opponents for them in this crunch last-four clash, because right now there is no team on this planet - perhaps with the exception of Blues! - that they will be so determined to beat.

I still believe the cup represents our best opportunity of glory this year, despite our top-four hopes receiving a boost last weekend.

To lift the famous trophy we have to win just two games, while to reach the Champions League the chances are we'll have to win something like five of the remaining six. But certainly, it looks more of a possibility than it did a week ago following Tottenham's shock defeat at Sunderland.

But it's Manchester City's to lose now. Roberto Mancini's men don't have the distraction of the FA Cup like Villa or Spurs, and last weekend's 6-1 battering of Burnley was an ominous sign they might be beginning to kick into gear at just the right time.

Villa still have the best run in of the three though, so I am sure there will be a few more twists and turns in what has been a thoroughly intriguing four-horse race. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if it ended up going down to the wire and, for all their poor results, don't rule out Liverpool snatching it even now.

But Saturday's win at Bolton wasn't just crucial to Villa's designs on fourth – it was just as vital for their FA Cup hopes. I

It will have given the squad a big lift going into their second Wembley trip of the campaign, restoring some much-needed self-belief among the players.

Personal pride will be a big motivating factor on Saturday – as will the chance to ram John Terry's comments down his throat. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Terry's jibe was pinned on the Villa dressing room wall on Saturday.

Whether his team had just won 7-1 or not, it was still a dangerous thing for the Chelsea captain to claim Villa's legs tire in the last half an hour just two weeks before a game as big as this. The prospect of making Terry eat his words will be all the motivation the claret and blue players need going into that game.

On paper, there looks only one winner. Chelsea look to be bang on top of their game after following their Villa thrashing up with a vital victory at Old Trafford which has given them the initiative in the title race.

But there's a definite danger of complacency on their part and, if they were to enter the game with the wrong attitude, that could give Villa an opportunity.

The games have slowed down for O'Neill's team these last couple of weeks, but that will have helped give the players a breather after their hectic schedule.

Fingers crossed James Milner will come back revitalised from his fortnight's break, because his energy and goal threat makes him a key player for Villa.

The team virtually picks itself bar the usual John Carew and Emile Heskey poser but, for me, the big Norwegian deserves the nod for his recent goalscoring glut.

I must confess, my only memory of an FA Cup semi-final happens to be one of the lowest points of my career.

The game was just 14 minutes old when I had to go off for Steve Stone with a hamstring injury and, to this day, it pains me that I'm not in that infamous photograph of the Villa players sprinting to congratulate Dion Dublin for scoring the final-clinching penalty.

Of course, I'll be there on Saturday cheering on the lads and, fingers crossed, I will be enjoying happier ones come 7pm on Saturday evening!

And one final thing. I've said it before and, after Tuesday's quite sublime display, does everyone now believe me that Wayne Rooney just doesn't hold a candle to the best player in the world, Lionel Messi.

The Barcelona star was out of this world after virtually single-handedly tearing Arsenal apart on Tuesday evening and is a once-in-a-generation player.

When I'm watching him I find myself caught between laughter and astonishment at the things he does. He is a truly sensational player and those who watch the Spanish league regularly will know his performance against the Gunners was no fluke.

Can you imagine the two of them in the same team? It doesn't bear thinking about!