Manchester City vs Chelsea: Wembley Hosts Another Huge FA Cup Final

Manchester City and Chelsea meet at Wembley on Saturday with silverware, history and redemption all on the line in the 2025/26 FA Cup final.

For Pep Guardiola’s side, it is another opportunity to underline their dominance in English football. City have already lifted the EFL Cup this season and now stand one win away from completing a domestic cup double for the second time under Guardiola.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are desperate to end years of frustration in domestic finals. The Blues have lost each of their last six domestic cup finals and arrive at Wembley looking to finally break that painful streak.

The occasion also marks another chapter in a fixture that has become increasingly one-sided in recent years. Since losing the 2021 Champions League final to Chelsea, City are unbeaten in 13 matches against the Blues across all competitions, winning 10 of them.

Wembley history adds extra pressure

This will be Manchester City’s fourth consecutive FA Cup final, making them the first club ever to achieve that feat. They defeated Manchester United in 2023 before suffering back-to-back final defeats against Manchester United and Crystal Palace in 2024 and 2025.

Chelsea know all too well how brutal Wembley can be. The London side have lost their last three FA Cup finals and have failed to score in each of their last four finals at the national stadium since Christian Pulisic struck against Arsenal in 2020.

The Blues are appearing in their 17th FA Cup final, with only Arsenal and Manchester United featuring in more. They have won the competition eight times, with their last triumph coming in 2018 when Eden Hazard’s penalty was enough for a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

Guardiola’s rotation gamble pays off

City head into the final in strong form after a comfortable 3-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace in midweek kept the title race alive.

Guardiola heavily rotated his side ahead of Wembley, leaving key names such as Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki on the bench. The decision worked perfectly, allowing several stars to stay fresh for Saturday’s game.

Haaland is expected to return to the starting lineup alongside Doku, while James Trafford is likely to start in goal after impressing in City’s cup runs this season.

Antoine Semenyo has also pushed strongly for a place in the XI after another influential display against Palace, while Carabao Cup Final MOTM, Nico O’Reilly is expected to return after being rested entirely in midweek.

There remain some question marks in defence. Ruben Dias is only recently back from injury, while Josko Gvardiol may not start with the Croatian yet to reach full fitness. Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov have emerged as Guardiola’s preferred central defensive pairing in recent weeks.

Chelsea boosted by returning stars

Chelsea caretaker manager Callum McFarlane has been handed timely injury boosts ahead of the final.

Reece James returned to action recently and trained well throughout the week, while Levi Colwill has also stepped up his recovery and could feature at Wembley.

Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are both available after positive training weeks, giving Chelsea extra attacking options against a City side they have struggled badly against in recent seasons.

McFarlane has already made an impact since taking interim charge, guiding Chelsea past Leeds United in the semi-finals thanks to an Enzo Fernandez winner.

The road to Wembley

Manchester City’s route to the final has featured goals, drama and another reminder of their attacking firepower.

Guardiola’s side scored 10 against Exeter City in the third round before beating Salford City, Newcastle United and Liverpool on their way to Wembley. Their semi-final against Southampton proved far tougher, with City needing late goals from Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku to overturn a shock deficit.

Chelsea’s journey has largely come against lower league opposition, with Leeds United the only Premier League side they have defeated in the competition this season.

The Blues eased past Charlton Athletic, Hull City, Wrexham and Port Vale before edging Leeds 1-0 in the semi-finals to book their place at Wembley.

Can Chelsea finally end the drought?

Everything points towards Manchester City arriving as favourites.

They are unbeaten against Chelsea in five years, possess vastly greater experience in major finals and continue to look relentless in domestic cup competitions despite recent heartbreak in this tournament.

Yet finals have often produced surprises, and Chelsea will hope Wembley can finally provide a turning point after years of disappointment.

For City, it is a chance to reclaim the FA Cup after consecutive final defeats and keep alive hopes of another historic treble winning season.