Man City and Chelsea break unwanted FA Cup final record that has stood for 20 years
Updated 17:34 16 May 2026 GMT+1Published 17:27 16 May 2026 GMT+1
The 2026 FA Cup final set a new modern-day football record as Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley.
The 2026 FA Cup final set a new modern-day football record as Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley.
City forward Antoine Semenyo netted the only goal of the game on 72 minutes as Pep Guardiola's side lifted their second domestic cup of the season.
They won the Carabao Cup in March by beating Arsenal 3-0, and followed that up by beating a second London club on Saturday.
It wasn't exactly a cup final packed with quality, as a Chelsea side lacking in confidence attempted to win the trophy that could well end up having been their only passage to European football for next season.
Interim manager Calum McFarlane took charge of his first FA Cup final in the Blues dugout, but watched on as his team rarely threatened to test City's backline.
In fact, City goalkeeper James Trafford was not registered as making a single save from Chelsea's seven shots on goal.
City only registered nine shots on goal themselves, meaning that, as per presenter Mark Chapman on BBC's live coverage, the 2026 final was the worst in terms of total shots in 21 years - or, in another definition, since Opta began recording real-time statistics back in 2006.
That will not matter in the slightest for Guardiola's side, who add yet another trophy to their collection since the Spaniard's arrival back in 2016.
Guardiola settles Man City future rumours
The build-up to the final was significant in that Guardiola finally spoke publicly about speculation suggesting he could leave City at the end of the season - a year before the end of his contract.
The departure of long-standing midfielder Bernardo Silva, as well as coaches Lorenzo Buenaventura and Xabi Mancisidor, had only heightened speculation that this would be the Spaniard's last campaign in charge.
But Guardiola was surprisingly open about his future when asked by BBC Sport in his pre-FA Cup final interview.
More to follow...
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Chelsea, Man City, FA Cup