FA Cup Final: Chelsea vs Manchester City – Match Info, Lineups, Kickoff Time
Kevin Hand (Al Jazeera English)
Manchester City continues its pursuit of a domestic treble as it faces Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The match takes place at the historic Wembley Stadium, with City aiming for a fourth consecutive final appearance. Both teams have won a combined 15 FA Cup titles but meet in the final for the first time.
The 145th FA Cup final pits Chelsea against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium (London, England) on Saturday, May 16, at 3:00 PM local time (14:00 GMT). The tournament organizers will provide live coverage from 11:00 GMT.
Manchester City becomes the first club to appear in four consecutive finals, now facing Chelsea for the trophy. The two sides have won a combined 15 FA Cup titles, but this marks their first meeting in the final itself, though both have appeared in five of the last six showpiece matches.
City, already winners of the League Cup, remain in contention for a domestic treble. Chelsea, meanwhile, has undergone a managerial change, having beaten Paris Saint-Germain to win last year's expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
Who won last season's FA Cup final?
Crystal Palace defeated City 1-0 in last year's final to lift the cup for the first time. Eberechi Eze scored the only goal in the 16th minute. City dominated possession with 78% control.
Chelsea's path through the semifinals:
Chelsea beat Leeds United 1-0 in the fourth round, with Enzo Fernandez scoring the only goal in the 23rd minute. In the quarterfinals, they thrashed Port Vale 7-0. Earlier, they beat Wrexham 4-2 after extra time.
Manchester City's path through the semifinals:
City was tested by Championship side Southampton in the semifinals. Nico Gonzalez scored in the 87th minute after Jeremy Doku equalized in the 82nd. Liverpool was beaten 4-0 in the quarterfinals at the Etihad; Newcastle United lost 3-1 in the previous round.
Most recent meeting between Chelsea and Man City?
Manchester City won 3-0 in the Premier League on April 12 at Stamford Bridge. All three goals came within 17 second-half minutes, scored by Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi, and Jeremy Doku.
Premier League standings:
Man City sits second, two points behind Arsenal with two games remaining. Chelsea, the reigning Club World Cup champion, has dismissed both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior this season, currently standing ninth. Calum McFarlane will lead the team in his sixth match of his second interim spell.
Most recent FA Cup meeting?
The sides met in the semifinals in April 2024 at Wembley. Bernardo Silva scored the only goal to send City to the final, where they lost 2-1 to Manchester United.
How many times has Chelsea won the FA Cup?
Chelsea has won the FA Cup eight times, first in 1970 when they beat Leeds United 2-1 in a replay at Old Trafford.
How many times has Man City won?
City has won seven times, first in 1904 (1-0 against Bolton Wanderers).
When did Chelsea last win?
Chelsea beat Liverpool on penalties in 2022 (0-0 after 120 minutes).
When did Man City last win?
City beat Manchester United 2-1 in 2023, with Ilkay Gundogan scoring both goals.
Most successful club?
Arsenal leads with 14 titles, most recently in 2020. Manchester United has 13. Chelsea is joint third with Liverpool and Tottenham on eight titles each.
First FA Cup final?
Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 in 1872 at Kennington Oval.
Head-to-head record:
This is the 181st meeting between the two sides. Chelsea has won 99, Man City 68, with 13 draws. The first match in 1907 ended 2-2.
FA Cup meetings:
This is the 11th FA Cup meeting. Man City has won 6, Chelsea 4, with 0 draws.
Chelsea team news:
Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, and Jesse Derry are injured. Robert Sanchez, Pedro Neto, and Alejandro Garnacho have returned to training.
Expected Chelsea lineup: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; James, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Cucurella; Pedro.
Man City team news:
Erling Haaland is expected to start. He has scored 161 goals in 196 appearances for City but has neither scored nor assisted in 12 semifinal or final appearances. Rodri is doubtful with a groin injury.
Expected Man City lineup: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Bernardo; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.