Villa are desperate for more more big European nights under the floodlights after memorable wins over the likes of Bayern Munich, Bologna and Celtic.
Having lost 5-4 on aggregate to Paris St-Germain in the quarter-finals, Unai Emery’s side must finish in the top five to play in next season’s Champions League.
They currently lie seventh, two points off fifth having played one game more than the three teams immediately above them. Their goal difference is also inferior compared to their rivals.
Villa, however, are two wins from a first major trophy since Brian Little’s team defeated Leeds United in the 1996 League Cup final.
Do they go all-out to win the FA Cup – or make finishing in the top five the priority?
“Of course the Premier League is our priority,” said Villa boss Emery after his team’s 2-1 league defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday.
“We play in the Premier League to be in the top five.”
This weekend Villa will play in their first FA Cup semi-final for 10 years and more than 30,000 of their fans are expected to be at Wembley to see them play Palace.
Emery added: “It’s special to play in semi-finals. It’s something we achieved with hard work. Now we must continue it.”
Onuoha believes the FA Cup semi-final is Villa’s biggest game of the season.
“We saw with Newcastle what seeing your team lift silverware can mean to supporters and sometimes it’s a once in a lifetime type thing,” he added.
“Villa will want a chance to try and lift the trophy. You could very much make the case that it is the biggest game of their whole season so far.
“I think at times it is maybe taken for granted in this modern age of the financial power of Champions League qualification.
“The game is massive, the players will know it’s massive, all those fans travelling down to Wembley will know it’s massive.
“You can say the whole season could ride on this semi-final, and in some ways maybe it does. But isn’t that always the case when you get a chance to play for silverware?”
