FA Cup final: All you need to know ahead of Chelsea vs Man City

One of the greatest occasions in England’s football calendar, this season’s FA Cup final is between London flag-bearers Chelsea and Manchester City. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton preview Saturday's big kick-off at Wembley Stadium.

Cultures will collide in this time-honoured confrontation: it is the capital taking on Cottonopolis, royal blue versus sky blue, the world champions vying with Carabao Cup winners.

Chelsea and Manchester City have dominated this competition in recent years. Since 2016/17, they have won the most games (Chelsea 37, City 45), scored the most goals (Chelsea 111, City 159) and recorded the most clean sheets (Chelsea 26, City 28).

However, the Cityzens have lost two FA Cup finals on the spin, while the Blues have left the past three empty-handed. That said, the Londoners are now targeting a ninth triumph overall from our 17th attempt, while the Mancunians are chasing their eighth. Few can boast more.

The pair also top appearances at the new Wembley, facing off there six times previously, with only the Blues versus Manchester United a more common fixture under the famous arch.

In fact, clubs from the metropolises of London and Manchester have collided 11 times previously in the FA Cup final, the south claiming six victories and the north's five. Chelsea beat the Red Devils in the 2018 FA Cup final – our most recent success – and could now claim our third trophy in little over a year.

In the semi-finals, an astute Enzo Fernandez header ended Leeds United’s dream. Pep Guardiola's side, meanwhile, edged past Championship side Southampton.

The Londoners last tasted victory against City in the celebrated 2021 UEFA Champions League final and will hope last Saturday’s vastly improved display at Liverpool will set the tone for a performance befitting our history at the national stadium.

City had less time to rest and prepare, because of their distracting pursuit of the Premier League crown, most recently a home win against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Chelsea's route to the final

Charlton Athletic (A) 5-1
Hull City (A) 4-0
Wrexham (A) 4-2
Port Vale (H) 7-0
Leeds United (N) 1-0

Manchester City's route to the final

Exeter City (H) 10-1
Salford City (H) 2-0
Newcastle United (A) 3-1
Liverpool (H) 4-0
Southampton (N) 2-1

Chelsea team news

Calum McFarlane confirmed Levi Colwill and Reece James are in contention to feature for Chelsea after training well in the build-up to the game, and there are positive signs over the fitness of Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Robert Sanchez.

'Reece has trained well this week, we’re happy with him. It was good to get him minutes [against Liverpool] and I felt he played well when he came on. So, it’s largely positive around Reece,' said McFarlane in his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

'It’s been a really good training week for Levi and he was exceptional against Liverpool. That speaks a lot about him, being able to produce that sort of performance after that time out, and at a really difficult place. He has trained well this week, and we're looking forward to potentially having him on Saturday as well.

'Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho have trained well this week, so both looking really good. We’re really hopeful with them as well. So, positive signs. [Robert's chances are] really positive. He has trained well this week and we’re hopeful going into Saturday.'

The history

This annual showpiece brings together two teams for whom the privilege of an FA Cup final is less rare than most. However, while this is the ninth time Chelsea and Manchester City have met in the FA Cup and the third at Wembley, it is the first in the final itself.

The Blues won the first-ever encounter at Hyde Road in 1915, on the way to becoming the Football League’s first finalists from London. A high-quality third round match, in which the visitors were grateful for the brilliance of keeper Jim Molineux, was settled by prolific centre-forward Bob Thomson’s smart low drive 10 minutes from time.

The Cityzens gained revenge in 1948, 1971 and our first semi-final meeting in 2013. Demba Ba notched the winner against City’s neighbours United in the previous round and struck superbly again at Wembley.

However, the Mancunians were already two goals to the good and held out for 2-1.

In 2021, our second last-four encounter in this competition was decided behind closed doors when Hakim Ziyech drove home, but three years later, another tight game went City’s way, after Bernardo Silva’s late strike.

Finals at the national stadium have gone either way, too. The little-regarded Full Members Cup of 1985/86 served up a spectacular finale between the two, Chelsea leading 5-1 before the Cityzens rallied with three goals in the dying moments – that finished 5-4.

The 2019 League Cup final could have gone either way, but ended 0-0 after extra time, Pep Guardiola’s side eventually prevailing on penalties.

Then, of course, we come to the ultimate final between the two – the 2021 Champions League final played in Porto. An assured performance by Thomas Tuchel’s team nullified and stretched the Mancunians, carrying enough punch to win through Kai Havertz’s slick finish.

Chelsea's previous FA Cup finals

Know this...

This is Chelsea’s 31st major cup final appearance since 1997 and 38th overall.

Four of the past six FA Cup finals have been won by the team ranked lower on the league ladder.

The two finalists are also the leading scorers in this season’s FA Cup with 21 (and three against) – Chelsea’s joint-second highest total (with 2006/07) in an FA Cup campaign, after 25 goals in 1969/70.

Fernandez’s semi-final winner against Leeds made it four goals and two assists for the Argentine in this season’s FA Cup, and 20 goal involvements across all competitions. The last Blues players to notch in an FA Cup semi-final and then the final were Didier Drogba and Ramires in 2011/12.

Joao Pedro’s spectacular overhead leveller at Liverpool was his 20th goal on all fronts this season.

Pedro Neto is the leading scorer left in this season's FA Cup, with four goals.

McFarlane will be the first English manager to lead a team out in this fixture since Frank Lampard took the Blues to Wembley in 2020. In that same game against Arsenal, Christian Pulisic was the last Blues player to score in an FA Cup final.

Having lost to neighbours United in 2024 and to Crystal Palace last season, Man City could be set to lose a third successive FA Cup final. Their shot conversion rate in those lost finals was two per cent, compared to 19 per cent over previous rounds.

Erling Haaland has yet to score in a domestic cup final for City and failed to find the net in eight previous appearances for the club at Wembley.

Alejandro Garnacho scored against Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final for Man Utd. No player has done so against the same opponent for different teams.

FA Cup final appearances

	First	Last	Wins	Total
Manchester United	1909	2024	13	22
Arsenal	1927	2020	14	21
Chelsea	1915	2022	8	16
Liverpool	1914	2022	8	15
Manchester City	1904	2025	7	14
Newcastle United	1905	1999	6	13
Everton	1893	2009	5	13

The Blues were the first Football League club from London to reach the FA Cup final in 1915.

The FA Cup final has previously been played before the end of the Premier League/Football League campaign in 2001, 2011, 2025 and… 1970, when Chelsea lifted the trophy for the first time.

FA Cup regulations

FA Cup final ties are decided on the day, with no replays. Should the scores be level after second-half stoppage time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played and, if necessary, the winner will be determined by penalty kicks. The VAR system is in operation.

The FA Cup winners earn a place in next season’s UEFA Europa League. As Manchester City have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League, their Europa League place would instead go to the highest-placed team in the Premier League not already qualified.