Complex sentence: The club reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in the 1896--97 season; they were drawn against Aston Villa, and with Everton in the other semi-final, there was the prospect of a first all-Merseyside cup final.
Split into simpler sentences: The club reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in the 1896--97 season. They were drawn against Aston Villa, and with Everton in the other semi-final, there was the prospect of a first all-Merseyside cup final.