Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City
The showpiece of the English football season and a clash of the Billionaire Boys – although that is where the comparisons end.
Because while these two clubs have been transformed by ‘new money’ in the modern era, they are also prime examples of how to spend lavishly and astutely and, more recently in west London, not so astutely.
So, who would prevail at Wembley? The dominant force of the last decade or the side which has also enjoyed notable success but been often surrounded by chaos.
Highlights of the game
Saturday afternoon represented another chance for more silverware to arrive – something that has become a regular occurrence for both clubs.
The main question was whether Calum McFarlane, Chelsea’s caretaker coach, could shock Pep Guardiola on the grandest stage of all and prevent Manchester City from sealing a cup double, following their League Cup triumph in March.
For 70 odd minutes, they went toe-to-toe with City, massive favourites with the SBOTOP FA Cup 2026 betting odds but a side which had lost the last two FA Cup finals.
In only his sixth senior game as a manager, the former City youth coach went for solidity – three centre-halves and the recently returned captain Reece James and Moises Caicedo providing further protection in midfield.
City controlled possession but there was little in the way of serious goalmouth action until just before the break when Robert Sanchez kept out an Erling Haaland shot at his near post.
The west Londoners improved in the second period and had a few claims for a penalty waved away either side of the moment of magic that decided the contest.
For me, City’s two January recruits have made such a massive difference and means they head into the final week of the season still in contention for a domestic treble.
Marc Guehi began the campaign captaining Crystal Palace to victory at the national stadium in the Charity Shield; he is now rounding it off with a second successive FA Cup winners medal at the same venue.
The January transfer window has been a double success for City.
For if the England man has proved as good a central defender as any in the league this term, Antoine Semenyo had proved as effective as any wide man.
He was a Footballer of the Year contende following his first half of the season with Bournemouth and he immediately brought that form from the south coast to the north west.
His winning moment 18 minutes from time, which finally broke Chelsea’s resistance, was a piece of skill which will join the pantheon of great FA Cup Final goals.
Bernardo Silva, playing in his final Wembley appearance with the club, played in Haaland and his low pass was met by the marauding Semenyo. Despite being closely marked, the Ghanaian produced a superb flick with his trailing leg that diverted the ball across goal and beyond a helpless Sanchez into the far corner.
City have added the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet in yet another success for Guardiola, while Chelsea can look back on a largely miserable second half of the campaign.
It probably all began to unravel following the messy departure of Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day.
They will hope that incoming boss Xabi Alonso, reportedly on the verge of agreeing a four-year contract after reaching an agreement in principle, can add stability and a way forward.
Certainly, he will need more time than some of his recent predecessors have been granted with the Spaniard set to become Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager since their takeover by the BlueCo consortium in 2022.
By contrast, continuity at the top for City remains one of their biggest strengths.
Key statistics
Eleven of the last 14 meetings between the sides have now resulted in City victories.
Historically, City have 70 successes compared to 71 Chelsea triumphs and 42 draws.
City are the first team ever to play in four consecutive FA Cup finals. This is also the sixth time a club has won both major English cup competitions in the same campaign after Arsenal (1993), Liverpool (2001 and 2022), Chelsea (2007) and City (2019).
What’s next?
It is a very quick turnaround now for both sides as they play their penultimate Premier League matches of the season.
Chelsea, who currently sit in ninth spot in the table, entertain London rivals Spurs on Tuesday night knowing victory in both that game and their final match of the season at Sunderland may not be enough to seal a place in either the Europa League or Europa Conference next season.
It’s a very different scenario for City who are two points adrift of leaders Arsenal with matches to come at Bournemouth before closing at home to Aston Villa.
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