Chelsea reaches FA Cup final as Fernandez header seals win over Leeds United Chelsea’s season might be unravelling, but it will still include an appearance in the FA Cup final.
Enzo Fernandez’s 23rd-minute header secured Chelsea a 1-0 win over Leeds United in the semifinal on Sunday, setting up a meeting with Manchester City in the title clash on May 16.
Chelsea’s run in the FA Cup is salvaging a campaign that has veered off the rails after a humiliating exit from the Champions League, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, and five straight defeats in the Premier League. That run marked the team’s worst sequence of league results in 114 years and led to the midweek dismissal of manager Liam Rosenior.
Calum McFarlane, Rosenior’s little-known assistant, has taken charge of Chelsea until the end of the season and will now lead the side back out at Wembley Stadium next month in search of a ninth FA Cup title and a first since 2018.
Fernandez met Pedro Neto’s cross from the right with a firm header low into the net for the only goal. The Argentina midfielder had recently courted controversy by speaking publicly about wanting to live in Madrid, which earned him a two-match suspension by the club.
ALSO READ: Guardiola hails ‘extraordinary’ Man City reaction to make FA Cup history
Leeds, seeking to reach its first FA Cup final since 1973, piled on the pressure in the second half, and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez notably produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Anton Stach’s piledriver.
City rallied to beat second-tier Southampton 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the final and stay on course for a domestic treble. Pep Guardiola’s side has already won the English League Cup and is battling with Arsenal for the Premier League title.
Chelsea most recently reached the final in 2022, when it lost to Liverpool on penalties.
Published on Apr 26, 2026
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Chelsea’s season might be unravelling, but it will still include an appearance in the FA Cup final.
Enzo Fernandez’s 23rd-minute header secured Chelsea a 1-0 win over Leeds United in the semifinal on Sunday, setting up a meeting with Manchester City in the title clash on May 16.
Chelsea’s run in the FA Cup is salvaging a campaign that has veered off the rails after a humiliating exit from the Champions League, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, and five straight defeats in the Premier League. That run marked the team’s worst sequence of league results in 114 years and led to the midweek dismissal of manager Liam Rosenior.
Calum McFarlane, Rosenior’s little-known assistant, has taken charge of Chelsea until the end of the season and will now lead the side back out at Wembley Stadium next month in search of a ninth FA Cup title and a first since 2018.
Fernandez met Pedro Neto’s cross from the right with a firm header low into the net for the only goal. The Argentina midfielder had recently courted controversy by speaking publicly about wanting to live in Madrid, which earned him a two-match suspension by the club.
ALSO READ: Guardiola hails ‘extraordinary’ Man City reaction to make FA Cup history
Leeds, seeking to reach its first FA Cup final since 1973, piled on the pressure in the second half, and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez notably produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Anton Stach’s piledriver.
City rallied to beat second-tier Southampton 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the final and stay on course for a domestic treble. Pep Guardiola’s side has already won the English League Cup and is battling with Arsenal for the Premier League title.
Chelsea most recently reached the final in 2022, when it lost to Liverpool on penalties.
Published on Apr 26, 2026
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