Wenger implores Arsenal to be wary of Warnock's underdogs

FA Cup semi-finals: Holders' manager keeps Gunners' minds on Sheffield United while his Saints counterpart savours the knock-out limelight

Arsene Wenger's exhortation to his players took a familiar theme yesterday. They would, as he had promised in the previous round of the FA Cup, give "every drop of blood" to progress further in the competition.

The Arsenal manager's team selections have, at times, betrayed a sense that his priorities lie elsewhere. But, Wenger insisted, he would not let Manchester United's visit to Highbury in midweek for the championship decider unduly alter the line-up he puts out tomorrow. "We won't consider Wednesday's game at all," he claimed. "We want to qualify and nothing more than that." Nevertheless it would be a surprise if, against Sheffield United, he does not omit several, such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Martin Keown, who will feature in the League. Robert Pires, returning from injury, will also not be risked.

"I think it is normal that we are favourites but the FA Cup is the FA Cup and it is a game that we will have to put every energy in to qualify," Wenger said. "We have to be careful because we have put a lot of effort in and we want to finish the job. Sheffield United put Leeds out twice [in cup competitions] and are a hard team to beat."

That effort was no more in evidence than in the impressive replay win against Chelsea in the quarter-finals. Having also accounted for Manchester United, Wenger feels his players have shown enough desire to dispel any talk of not taking the competition seriously. "We will not go out now and say it does not matter to us," he said.

One reason why it may matter more, of course, is the determination to claim a "double double"' – and attempt to confirm Wenger's aim of a southern power-shift away from the north-west by winning both the FA Cup and the Premiership in successive years. "We are in front," he said. "We have four weeks to go in the season and we can make a second double. Who would refuse that? I think we can just go for it as much as we can. To achieve such a thing we need to put every drop of blood in there."

Examination of Arsenal's record under Wenger shows that they do indeed "go for it". They have lost only once in 18 FA Cup ties, the late defeat to Liverpool in the 2001 final. As well as boasting an impressive record of success, Wenger will forever have a place in FA Cup history. He insisted that a fifth-round tie, in 1999, be replayed because the winning goal came after Marc Overmars' failure to give the ball back to the visitors when it had been deliberately kicked out after an injury. It is the only match in the Cup's 131-year history to be replayed as a "sporting gesture", with Arsenal winning the replayed match. The opponents then, of course, were Sheffield United.

Yesterday, the First Division club's manager, Neil Warnock, claimed defeating Arsenal would be "the biggest upset of the century" before adding: "But I would not say we've not much of a chance. We've as much chance as Monty's Pass winning the Grand National – and I had £20 on that as well.

"You've always a chance in the FA Cup. I remember Liverpool a few years ago [in 1990] going for the Double, and they had a formidable team. Yet Crystal Palace won a bizarre [semi-final] game 4-3. Liverpool made mistakes on that day you would never expect of them, so there's always an upset round the corner."

The other tie – Southampton against Watford – is also a Premiership versus First Division encounter. Wenger said he was not surprised by the strong showing by the Nationwide League. "I believe that the level has gone up compared to the last three or four years," he said.

Watford's manager, Ray Lewington, said his players had no intention of being overawed. "We're going to have a really good go, knowing the expectation is loaded on Southampton. We can play and we know we can go there with a genuine chance of winning."

There is more at stake for Watford than the other clubs in the last four – having been days away from going into administration last autumn before players and staff accepted a 12 percent deferment on pay. But having beaten two Premiership clubs already this year – West Bromwich and Sunderland – they know that a place in the final could, literally, alter their fortunes.