Former Chelsea fan and Aston Villa star, Paul Merson believes Villa will beat Chelsea as two sides meet face to face in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley stadium this weekend.

Merson was recalling 2000 memories when Villa lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the FA Cup finals and admitted that side were 'poor' comparing to the current one.

"We were poor on the day. Our tactics were all wrong. We were negative,” he said on Villa’s official site.

"We showed Chelsea too much respect. It was so poor - probably one of the worst FA Cup finals ever.

"To call it an anticlimax is probably an understatement.

"I'd rather get beat 10-0 and have a go. We never looked like scoring in the month of Sundays. It was so disappointing. We should have just gone for it. The tactics were very negative.

"But this Villa team will have a go. They don't know any other way.

"Villa play with two cracking wingers - they will get the ball out wide and get the ball in the box.

"Believe me, you won't be seeing anything like what you did in 2000 at Wembley.

"Martin will want to have a go at Chelsea, he won't want to just sit back.

"Villa have the team to beat them in my opinion.

"I was a big Chelsea fan when I was a kid but I do fancy Aston Villa in this one."

Despite frustration with that final defeat, Merson has fond memories of the run to Wembley - Villa seeing off Darlington, Southampton, Leeds and Bolton on their way to the clash with Chelsea.

"When you look at the third round of the FA Cup and you realise Manchester United aren't in it, you start to think 'here we go, we have a chance,” he added

"To draw Darlington at home was a dream. It wasn't easy but playing a lower division team at home is all you could ask for.

"To win that and then get drawn at home again in the next round - against Southampton - was perfect. That was tight but we won the game. After that game we did start thinking we had a chance to do something special.

"The Leeds match was one of the best games I have ever played in.

"They were a good team then - a good, good team. We went 1-0 down and then Beni scored.

"They went 2-1 up and they were the much better team. We were lucky to still be in it. We'd had one shot and Beni scored it.

"Then he scored an absolute cracker out of nowhere - completely out of nowhere. It was world-class. I thought he was going to pass for me and I'd pass it him back.

"When I saw he was about to shoot I thought 'what the hell are you doing?' Then I saw it fly in. That's what he had in his locker. He had exceptional skill and that's what he could do.

"We always had a chance to win football matches because we had players like Beni who could do something out of the ordinary when it wasn't going well.

"For the winner I chipped it over one player, chipped it over another and then Michael Duberry came and smashed me in the head and Beni got his hat-trick.

"He went and ran off the other way but he did have a look over to see if I was alright - I was covered in blood. It's easily done. It was a fantastic hat-trick and a super win.

"Then we drew Everton and it was a great win in that one too. I set up both goals and had an assist for the corner but I didn't play that well in that game.

"The first goal came about because of a set-piece that worked an absolute treat and then on the stroke of half-time I cut inside, shot and the ball ricocheted to Beni and he scored our second.

"It was literally the 45th minute because we got in the dressing room at half-time and John [Gregory] bought me off. He hadn't seen the goal.

"I went into one and we had an argument in the dressing room.

"Then we got Bolton, which was a dream - even though I'm not a lover of semi-finals at Wembley.

"We thought 'here we go, we've avoided Chelsea'. But Bolton battered us - no question about it.

"Bolton were the much better team that day.

"Dean Holdsworth missed one and he probably still wakes up today and thinks about it - he must do.

"I had a bad back that day - it was really stiff - and I shouldn't have played. I did play though and I was poor - probably one of the worst players on the pitch. But we hung on.

"I was down to take the final penalty. But I didn't need to take one in the end because David James made some tremendous saves.

"We could have kept scoring all day because we were that good at taking penalties.

"And what a moment for Dion to score the winner. After breaking his neck, it was just phenomenal. But that was the kind of guy he was - mentally tough.

"To come back like he did and do that was just incredible. I do have a lot of respect for him. I admire him and he's a nice guy too."

Photo courtesy: Villa FC