Chelsea and Manchester City Set for FA Cup Final Showdown

Wembley Stadium is the stage for the 2025–2026 FA Cup final this Saturday at 5:00 PM, pitting Chelsea against a Manchester City side that includes Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush. The match marks a return to the final for Chelsea, who last appeared in the 2021-2022 season, losing the title to Liverpool.

Despite a disastrous season overall, Chelsea enters the match aiming for its ninth FA Cup title. The Blues' hopes rest on the attacking duo of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, who helped secure their place in the final by defeating Leeds United. Chelsea's most recent FA Cup triumph came in the 2017-2018 season.

City's Historic Run and Marmoush's Ambition

Manchester City reached the 2026 final by beating Southampton 2-1 in the semi-final at Wembley. Under manager Pep Guardiola, City has become the first English club to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals, underscoring their domestic dominance.

Omar Marmoush is looking to claim his second trophy with City since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt in the winter 2025 transfer window. He already won the EFL Cup this season, defeating Arsenal. The Egyptian also aims to lead City toward a potential historic treble, as the club remains in contention for the Premier League title against Arsenal with just two matches remaining.

City's Dominant Record Against Chelsea

Manchester City is pursuing a domestic cup double this season, having already won the EFL Cup. Winning the FA Cup would mark the sixth time in English football history that a club has secured both domestic cup titles in a single season, a feat previously achieved by Arsenal (1992-1993), Liverpool (2000-2001 and 2021-2022), Chelsea (2006-2007), and City themselves (2018-2019).

City enters the match with a formidable record against Chelsea, having not lost in their last 13 meetings across all competitions, with 10 wins and 3 draws. That unbeaten run dates back to their loss to Chelsea in the 2020-2021 Champions League final, and it represents City's longest unbeaten streak against the Blues in their history.

Since the 2016-2017 season, Chelsea and City have established themselves as the dominant forces in the FA Cup. City has recorded 45 wins in the competition during that period, compared to Chelsea's 37. City also leads in goals scored (159 to 111) and clean sheets (28 to 26).

Chelsea has been particularly potent in this season's FA Cup, scoring 21 goals—their second-highest tally in a single campaign, matching their output from the 2006-2007 season. Meanwhile, City has continued its recent dominance, winning 21 of its last 23 FA Cup matches, with its only two losses coming in the 2024 and 2025 finals.