Edited by Paul Elegbeleye
Manchester City and Chelsea will contest the 2026 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 16 May, after two very different semi-finals across the weekend.
City came from behind dramatically on Saturday, while Chelsea kept their nerve in a tense, controlled encounter on Sunday. However, road to the showpiece event was not straightforward for either side, but both found a way through.
For City, this is their fourth consecutive FA Cup final appearance, a run of consistency that underlines just how relentlessly Pep Guardiola’s side competes across every domestic competition.
For Chelsea, it ends a nightmare run of seven defeats in eight games across all competitions and marks their first FA Cup final since 2022, arriving in the most chaotic possible circumstances following the midweek sacking of manager Liam Rosenior.
Meanwhile, two finals opponents are now confirmed. The tactical battle between Guardiola’s well-drilled City machine and Chelsea’s interim boss Calum McFarlane takes centre stage on 16 May, with an FA Cup title on the line for both clubs.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary: FA Cup Semi-Final Results
- Manchester City 2-1 Southampton | Goals: Finn Azaz 79′ (Southampton), Jérémy Doku 82′, Nico González 87′ (Manchester City)
- Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United | Goal: Enzo Fernández 23′
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Manchester City 2-1 Southampton: A Comeback That Had No Right to Happen
For 79 minutes, Southampton were the better side. Championship high-flyers, seven games unbeaten in all competitions before kick-off. Motivated by the 50th anniversary of their 1976 FA Cup triumph, the Saints deployed a disciplined mid-block that stifled City’s attacking patterns and restricted clear chances throughout the first half and for much of the second.
Finn Azaz broke the deadlock in the 79th minute, curling a finish past James Trafford to send the Southampton end into euphoria. A Championship club, leading in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley with eleven minutes to play! A dream that felt entirely real. City, who had generated 26 shots across the match but struggled to convert their dominance into goals, suddenly needed two in eleven minutes.
The Eight Minutes That Changed Everything
Jérémy Doku changed the game. Coming off the bench, the Belgian winger drove forwardS and fired a deflected effort past Daniel Peretz in the 82nd minute to level. This equaliser arrived before Southampton could settle, and the momentum swung immediately. Five minutes later, Nico González produced the decisive moment of the weekend. He stepped onto a half-cleared ball and rifled a strike from 25 yards into the top corner. What a goal! Peretz had no chance, and the comeback was complete.
Meanwhile, the statistics underline how fortune favoured the favourites in the closing stages. According to Sofascore, City’s expected goals across the match stood at 2.27 to Southampton’s 0.30, meaning City’s dominance was reflected in the numbers even when the scoreline was not. Southampton’s defensive organisation was outstanding for most of the match. Ultimately, the quality of two individual moments from the bench was the difference.
City’s fourth consecutive final appearance is proof of the squad’s depth. When the starting eleven could not break Southampton down, the substitutes delivered. How many more times can Guardiola’s squad pull off this kind of late rescue act?
Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United: McFarlane’s First Statement
Chelsea arrived at Wembley in crisis. Five consecutive Premier League defeats without scoring, the sacking of Liam Rosenior four days before the match, and Calum McFarlane stepping up from assistant to interim manager with minimal preparation time. Could a side in such disarray really produce a performance at Wembley? Meanwhile, Leeds, nine points clear of the relegation zone and riding an unbeaten run of their own, arrived with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
However, the first half told a different story from the one many expected. Chelsea controlled the ball, created the cleaner chances, and found the breakthrough they needed. Enzo Fernández scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute, adjusting neatly to meet Pedro Neto’s cross and heading past Lucas Perri. What a time to deliver! It was Fernández’s 13th goal of the season in all competitions, and another assist for Pedro Neto.
Leeds Push But Cannot Find the Net
Daniel Farke made two changes at half-time, bringing on Joe Rodon and Anton Stach, and Leeds grew into the match in the second half. Brenden Aaronson went one-on-one with Robert Sanchez and was denied by a sharp stop from the Chelsea goalkeeper. Stach forced a good save from long range. Dominic Calvert-Lewin also threatened. Leeds claimed 57% of the ball in the second half and out-attempted Chelsea six shots to two during that period, but the equaliser never came.
The Blues held firm when it mattered. Sanchez made three saves across the match, and McFarlane’s side defended their lead with the kind of composure that had been entirely absent during their league collapse. Chelsea have now reached their 17th FA Cup final, behind only Manchester United and Arsenal in all-time appearances at Wembley in the competition.
Leeds, who were aiming for their first FA Cup final since 1973, exit with credit but without the result their second-half performance deserved.
The Road to 16 May
The FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley on 16 May promises a tactical contest of genuine interest. City will look to control possession and press high, as they do in every domestic cup final under Guardiola. Chelsea, if their semi-final is any indication, will sit compact and launch quickly on the transition, trusting Pedro Neto’s pace and Fernández’s quality in the half-spaces.
City are heavy favourites based on form, squad depth, and the accumulated experience of three consecutive finals. But Chelsea, with McFarlane having nothing to lose and the cup providing their only realistic route to a trophy this season, are not without weapons. Can McFarlane pull off the upset of the season on 16 May?
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