Welcome to our live coverage of the 2025-26 FA Cup final as Chelsea take on Manchester City under the Wembley arch. The Blues arrive desperate to rescue a difficult campaign, while City chase a domestic cup double after already lifting the Carabao Cup earlier this season. Pep Guardiola’s side also makes history today as the first club ever to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals.
Manchester City heads into the showpiece in excellent form, having won eight of their last nine matches in all competitions. The Citizens have also dominated this fixture in recent years, going 13 games unbeaten against Chelsea since the 2021 Champions League final. Guardiola is expected to recall stars such as Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki, with City looking to secure an eighth FA Cup crown.
Chelsea, meanwhile, continues to struggle for consistency under interim boss Calum McFarlane. The London side has won only two of its last 11 matches, although the return of Reece James, Levi Colwill, and Pedro Neto offers a timely boost ahead of kickoff. The Blues are aiming to end a painful Wembley streak after losing their last three FA Cup finals.
The most recent meeting between the two sides ended in a 3-0 victory for City at Stamford Bridge in April, adding further confidence for Guardiola’s men heading into today’s final.
32' – Second yellow card for Chelsea (0-0)
Marc Cucurella is Chelsea's second player to be shown a yellow card after bringing down Antoine Semenyo during a dangerous Manchester City counterattack. The move began after Cole Palmer lost possession while trying to weave through the City defence, allowing Semenyo to break forward at pace before being cynically stopped by the Spaniard.
29' – First yellow card for Chelsea (0-0)
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez goes into the referee’s book after a heavy challenge on Bernardo Silva in the middle of the pitch. The Argentine appeared to get a touch on the ball, but the tackle looked reckless enough for Darren England to immediately show a yellow card.
24' – Erling Haaland scores for Manchester City, but it's offside (0-0)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland has a goal disallowed due to offside!
The Citizens think they have taken the lead as Erling Haaland taps into an empty net, but the celebrations are quickly cut short by the assistant referee’s flag. Matheus Nunes had burst in behind the Chelsea defence before squaring across goal for Haaland, but the City right-back was clearly offside in the build-up.
24' – Erling Haaland comes close for Manchester City (0-0)
Manchester City suddenly springs into life as Jermy Doku robs Wesley Fofana of possession down the left flank before releasing Erling Haaland into the penalty area. From a tight angle, the Norwegian fires a ball that is somewhere between a shot and a cross toward Omar Marmoush. However, it flashes dangerously across the face of the goal and rolls harmlessly away.
22' – Here's Chelsea once more (0-0)
Chelsea nearly capitalizes on a costly loose touch from Marc Guehi, with Enzo Fernandez producing a stunning scissor-kick pass over the top to release Joao Pedro into space. The Brazilian finds himself one-on-one with Khusanov, but hesitates at the crucial moment, cuts back inside, and then slips as he pulls the trigger, allowing the chance to go begging.
20' – Chelsea finally bursts into action (0-0)
Chelsea creates its first real attacking moment of the match as the ball is worked brilliantly out wide to Malo Gusto on the right flank. The Frenchman delivers a dangerous cross toward the back post, but Matheus Nunes reacts quickly to get across and turn it behind for Chelsea’s first corner of the game.
16' – Ball possession belongs to Manchester City (0-0)
26:74 is the current ball possession percentage for both sides.
Without a question, Manchester City has had a better start to the day, while Chelsea is persevering.
7' – First chance for either team (0-0)
Robert Sanchez of Chelsea easily saves Omar Marmoush's attempt after Antoine Semenyo's attempt gets deflected through to him. It is the first chance for either team in the first half!
The game has started!
Referee Darren England blows his whistle, and the final is underway!
What is Chelsea vs. Manchester City's FA Cup H2H record?
Chelsea and Manchester City have faced each other nine times in the FA Cup before today’s final, with City holding the stronger record overall.
FA Cup Head-to-Head Record
Matches Played: 9
Manchester City Wins: 6
Chelsea Wins: 3
Draws: 0
Previous FA Cup Meetings
- 1914/15 (Third Round): Chelsea 1-0 Man City
- 1947/48 (Fourth Round): Man City 2-0 Chelsea
- 1970/71 (Fourth Round): Man City 3-0 Chelsea
- 2012/13 (Semi-final): Man City 2-1 Chelsea
- 2013/14 (Fifth Round): Man City 2-0 Chelsea
- 2015/16 (Fifth Round): Chelsea 5-1 Man City
- 2020/21 (Semi-final): Chelsea 1-0 Man City
- 2022/23 (Third Round): Man City 4-0 Chelsea
- 2023/24 (Semi-final): Man City 1-0 Chelsea
Manchester City has also gone 13 matches unbeaten against Chelsea in all competitions since the 2021 Champions League final, winning 10 and drawing three during that run.
Who's the referee for Chelsea vs. Manchester City?
The referee for the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City is Darren England.
Match Officials
Referee: Darren England
Assistant Referees: Gary Beswick, Natalie Aspinall
Fourth Official: Michael Oliver
VAR: Peter Bankes
AVAR: Stuart Burt
England is one of the Premier League’s regular officials and has overseen several major domestic fixtures in recent seasons, including high-profile clashes in both the Premier League and cup competitions. This game is his career peak.
Where is Chelsea vs. Manchester City being played?
The 2025-26 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City will be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium. The famous national stadium, known for its historic arch and electric atmosphere, once again hosts English soccer’s biggest domestic cup final as two Premier League giants battle for silverware in front of a packed crowd in the capital.
Manchester City's starting lineup confirmed!
Head coach Pep Guardiola confirmed the 11 players who'll start the game against Chelsea:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK: James Trafford
DEF: Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly
MID: Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo
ST: Erling Haaland
Chelsea's starting lineup confirmed!
Interim head coach Calum McFarlane confirmed the 11 players who'll start the game against Manchester City:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK: Robert Sanchez
DEF: Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella
MID: Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto
ST: Joao Pedro
Kickoff time and how to watch
The game between Manchester City and Chelsea will kick off at 10:00 AM (ET).
You can watch the 2025-26 FA Cup final live on ESPN+, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes.
Manchester City and Chelsea pit tactics against each other in the 2026 FA Cup final
Kickoff at Wembley is fast approaching, and the atmosphere is building ahead of one of the biggest matches of the English soccer season. Can Chelsea pull off a surprise and save its campaign, or will Manchester City continue its dominance and complete another domestic double? Stay with us for all the live updates, key moments, goals, and reaction from the FA Cup final at Wembley.
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