Chelsea vs Manchester City - Road to the 2026 FA Cup Final

Simon Lewis

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Last updated: 1 hour ago

Simon Lewis 1 hour ago

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Both sides have scored 21 goals and conceded three times in the 2026 FA Cup.
Chelsea beat Port Vale 7-0 while Man City beat Exeter 10-1.
The 145th edition FA Cup Final will be played at Wembley on Saturday, 16 May 2026.

Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo (Getty Images).

Chelsea’s early rounds
Chelsea in the last eight
Chelsea's 2026 FA Cup journey
Manchester City’s early rounds
Manchester City in the last eight
Manchester City's 2026 FA Cup journey

Chelsea’s early rounds

Chelsea entry into this season’s FA Cup saw them kick-off with a 5-1 away win over Championship side Charlton Athletic. It was Liam Rosenior’s first match in charge and the Blues’ goals were shared among Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández and Jorrel Hato.

Their fourth-round tie was also on the road at Hull, with Chelsea running out convincing 4-0 winners. Pedro Neto was the standout performer, scoring his first Chelsea hat-trick, while Estêvão also got his name on the scoresheet.

The fifth round gave Chelsea a tougher test away to Wrexham. The Championship side pushed them hard, with Sam Smith and Callum Doyle scoring for the Welsh club. A late Josh Acheampong goal forced extra time before Alejandro Garnacho and João Pedro struck to seal a 4–2 Chelsea win.

Chelsea in the last eight

Chelsea then returned to Stamford Bridge for the quarter-finals, where they swept aside League One underdogs Port Vale 7-0, which was their biggest FA Cup win since beating Ipswich Town by the same scoreline in 2011. Jorrel Hato, João Pedro, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estêvão and Alejandro Garnacho all scored, alongside an own goal from Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel.

In the semi-final at Wembley, Chelsea edged Premier League rivals Leeds United 1-0 thanks to a single Enzo Fernández goal. The Blues now head into the final looking for their first FA Cup triumph since their 1-0 win over Manchester United in 2018.

Chelsea's 2026 FA Cup journey

Round	Opposition	Score
3rd	Charlton Athletic (A)	5–1
4th	Hull City (A)	4–0
5th	Wrexham (A)	4–2 (a.e.t.)
QF	Port Vale (H)	7–0
SF	Leeds United (N)	1–0

Manchester City’s early rounds

Manchester City got their Cup campaign off to a romping start at home, winning 10-1 to League One side Exeter City. City’s goals came from seven different Citizens players to underline the attacking depth that went on to shape their run to the final. The Exeter defence chipped in with two own goals to help City into double figures.

Rico Lewis scored twice, while Max Alleyne, Rodri, Antoine Semenyo, Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly and Ryan McAidoo also found the net. Hull’s Jake Doyle-Hayes and Jack Fitzwater hit the ball into their own net, while George Birch grabbed Exeter’s consolation goal. The victory was City’s biggest since smashing Huddersfield Town by the same scoreline back in 1987.

City followed that with a 2-0 fourth-round win at home to Salford City. Marc Guéhi scored along with another own goal, this time Salford’s Alfie Dorrington sticking the ball in his own net to ensure that there were no chances of a late upset against their League Two opposition.

Manchester City in the last eight

In the fifth round City faced a much sterner test away to Newcastle United. Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for Newcastle, but City responded well, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice before Savinho added another to complete a 3-1 victory at St James’ Park.

The quarter-final brought a major tie against eight-time FA Cup winners Liverpool. City took full control at home, winning 4-0 thanks to an Erling Haaland hat-trick and a goal from Antoine Semenyo. The result sent City into their eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final.

City then faced Championship side Southampton at Wembley in the last four. Finn Azaz gave Southampton hope with a 79th-minute goal to open the scoring, but City produced a late comeback through sensational goals from Jérémy Doku and Nico González to secure a 2-1 victory. The win ensured that City became the first team to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals, having also appeared in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 finals.