Two Premier League giants will collide in Saturday’s FA Cup final when Manchester City tangles with Chelsea at London’s Wembley Stadium.
For Man City, this game offers an opportunity to keep alive their hopes of winning the treble. For Chelsea, a victory would be their most realistic chance of qualifying for European club competition in 2026-27.
While Manchester has lost just one domestic match since the end of November under coach Pep Guardiola, Chelsea has already made two coaching changes in 2026 due to its faltering fortunes in the Premier League.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 FA Cup final, which kicks off at 9 A.M. ET (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+).
Saturday’s game is a straight knockout final, with no replays like some previous rounds of the FA Cup.
If the game is tied after 90 minutes of regulation, it will go to extra time and penalty kicks (if necessary) to determine the winner.
Setting the stage for Saturday
Manchester City has 77 points and currently sits second on the Premier League table with two games left in the campaign, just two points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Chelsea is ninth on the table with 49 points.
How both teams arrived at the final
Manchester City demolished Exeter City of the third division in a 10-1 third-round win and followed that up with a 2-0 victory over fourth-division side Salford City in the fourth round. Premier League clubs Newcastle United (a 3-1 win) and Liverpool (a 4-0 win) were easily dispatched in the fifth round and the quarterfinals before Man City needed to come from behind to record a 2-1 decision over second-tier Southampton in the semifinals last month.
Chelsea’s path to the final began with a 5-1 win against Charlton Athletic of the second division, followed by victory over second-tier Hull City (4-0) and Wrexham AFC (via penalty shootout) in the next two rounds. The Blues hammered third division club Port Vale 7-0 in the quarterfinals before eking out a 1-0 win against fellow Premier League club Leeds United in the semifinals.
Man City vs. Chelsea in recent times
Manchester City took four out of a possible six points from its two games against Chelsea during the 2025-26 Premier League season.
The teams played to a 1-1 draw in Manchester on Jan. 4, before Man City earned a comprehensive 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge on April 12.
Chelsea is winless in 13 consecutive games against Manchester City across all competitions, with 10 of those being losses. The London club’s last victory over its Premier League rival came in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League final in Porto.
The key battle: Jérémy Doku vs. Reece James
There are plenty of interesting one-on-one battles to follow during Saturday’s match. But one that could determine the outcome more than others is Chelsea right fullback Reece James vs. Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku.
A Belgian international noted for his pace down the left side, Doku offers a touch of dynamism to Manchester City’s attack with his one-on-one ability.
In the last two editions of the FA Cup, Doku has had more goal contributions (three goals and five assists) than any other player in the competition — he has one goal and four assists in four appearances this season.
He also scored in Man City’s 3-0 road win over Chelsea in the Premier League last month. Notably, James missed that match due to a hamstring injury, but he’s since recovered, and Chelsea’s captain will be tasked with trying to contain Doku on Saturday.
Erling Haaland has three goals in three FA Cup games this season. However, the Norwegian forward has yet to score in nine finals across all competitions during his tenure for Manchester City. His previous goal in a final was in the 2021 German DFB Pokal when he bagged a brace in Borussia Dortmund’s 4-1 win over RB Leipzig.
Enzo Fernández has six goal contributions in nine career FA Cup appearances for Chelsea (four goals, two assists) since joining the club in 2023, including scoring the winner in the semifinal against Leeds United last month. In total, the Argentinian has two goals and an assist in three FA Cup matches this season.
Manchester City has already lifted a trophy this season, having defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup Final in March. They’re also still in contention to win the Premier League. Can Man City win Saturday’s FA Cup final and then go on to complete the treble by pipping Arsenal for first place in the Prem?
This is Chelsea’s 17th appearance in the FA Cup Final. Only Manchester United (22) and Arsenal (21) have played in the final more often. They’ve won eight and lost eight in the final, including three in a row. Can Chelsea snap their losing streak and win the cup competition for the first time since 2018?
Numbers to remember
• Manchester City is the first team in history to advance to four consecutive FA Cup finals, beating Manchester United in 2023, before losing to their bitter rivals in 2024 and Crystal Palace last year. Only Chelsea (2020-2022) has ever lost three consecutive FA Cup finals.
• Four of Chelsea’s five wins in this season’s FA Cup have been against non-Premier League clubs — the team’s win over Leeds United in the semifinals was the lone exception. Chelsea hasn’t defeated two Premier League opponents in a single FA Cup campaign since 2020-21 — one of its wins was vs. Manchester City in the semifinals.
• Manchester City has won 21 of its last 23 matches overall in the FA Cup.
• Since the 2016-17 season, the two teams with the most FA Cup wins are Man City (45) and Chelsea (37). During that same time frame, they’ve also scored the most goals (City 159, Chelsea 111) and recorded the most clean sheets (City 28, Chelsea 26).
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
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