Antoine Semenyo’s brilliant backheel finish won the FA Cup for Manchester City on Saturday* . *Check out the best facts, stats and data from the 2025-26 FA Cup final with our Chelsea vs Man City stats page.
After consecutive FA Cup final defeats in 2024 and 2025, Manchester City returned to winning ways in the 2026 showpiece event at Wembley with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday.
A cheeky winner from Antoine Semenyo with just under 20 minutes to go was enough for Pep Guardiola’s men, making it a domestic cup double after they beat Arsenal in the EFL Cup final in March.
It is Man City’s eighth FA Cup success, taking them level with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
There were notable returns in both lineups, as Reece James started for Chelsea and Rodri was named in City’s side for the big occasion.
It wasn’t a classic. There were only 16 shots in the game, the fewest Opta has on record in an FA Cup final (since 2005), but City will not care one bit.
City thought they had taken the lead in the 26th minute when Matheus Nunes was played in down the right side of the Chelsea penalty area by Semenyo and crossed for Erling Haaland to score, but the Portuguese had been offside.
Haaland came into the game without a goal at Wembley in eight games, and without scoring a goal in a final for City in nine outings, and he was denied that elusive strike by Robert Sánchez just before half-time, with the Chelsea goalkeeper making a smart save at the near post.
Chelsea appealed for a penalty when João Pedro went over in the City box after a challenge from Abdukodir Khusanov, but referee Darren England deemed it to be shoulder-to-shoulder.
Rayan Cherki came on at half-time, with the Frenchman making a real difference in City’s 3-0 Premier League win at Chelsea just a few weeks ago. He almost made an immediate impact when his pass to Nico O’Reilly gave the youngster the chance to cross to the far post, but Semenyo sent his header over the bar.
Chelsea were playing well, though, far better than has been seen in their recent league games, though most of their attacks were leading to penalty appeals rather than attempts.
Haaland was getting little service, so decided to provide it himself in the 72nd minute. The Norwegian played a one-two with Bernardo Silva on the right, before cutting it across to Semenyo, and his impudent backheel finish found the left-corner of the net.
It was Haaland’s first goal involvement in a final for City, and his first ever goal involvement at Wembley.
Semenyo became the first Ghanaian player to score in an FA Cup final, and first African since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Arsenal, also against Chelsea, in 2020.
There was almost an instant response by Chelsea as a long throw was flicked on to Enzo Fernández, but his prodded shot squirmed over the bar.
Cherki should have doubled City’s lead in the 85th minute but his fierce shot from the edge of the box was straight at Sánchez, who pushed it away.
Chelsea pushed for an equaliser but the closest they came was former City striker Liam Delap heading over in stoppage time, and Guardiola’s men were able to see out the win to secure their second piece of silverware this season.
The Blues have now lost their last four FA Cup finals (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2026), and have failed to score in each of their last five FA Cup and EFL Cup finals.
Manchester City became only the second side to win both the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the same season more than once (also 2018-19) after Liverpool (2000-01 and 2021-22), and now they turn their attentions to trying to catch Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Chelsea vs Man City stats from the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Chelsea vs Man City: Selected Post-Match Facts
Chelsea are just the second side to lose four consecutive FA Cup final appearances, after Leicester City between 1949 and 1969.
Antoine Semenyo has been involved in more FA Cup goals than any other Man City player this season (5 – 3 goals, 2 assists), while his strike today made him the first ever Ghanaian player to score in an FA Cup final.
Chelsea’s Reece James has played in four FA Cup finals and ended on the losing side each time. It’s the joint-most different finals a player has appeared in without ever winning the competition, along with Paul Bracewell.
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