The FA Cup final is set for Saturday at Wembley, marking the culmination of soccer’s oldest cup competition. Two Premier League heavyweights, Manchester City and Chelsea, will clash in what promises to be an exciting showdown. Given the way both teams’ seasons have unfolded—City featuring a Carabao Cup win and a slim chance at the Premier League title, while Chelsea finds itself mired in mid-table and seeking yet another coaching change—Saturday’s victory would be significant for the winner.
As the anticipation builds, Rob Dawson and Julien Laurens analyze the situation in both teams’ locker rooms and share their predictions.
The Perspective from Manchester City
With the Premier League title appearing to slip away, Manchester City has shifted its focus towards the future.
At the Etihad Stadium, there’s an increasing sentiment that Pep Guardiola might be on the verge of stepping down after a decade with the club. If this is indeed the case, the FA Cup final against Chelsea could be Guardiola’s last opportunity to expand his illustrious trophy collection.
Having already secured the Carabao Cup this season with a win over Arsenal, he now sets his sights on achieving a domestic cup double. Significantly, despite the slim hope left for the title race, he opted to rest key players such as Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Jérémy Doku during the recent 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. All are expected to return to the starting lineup this Saturday at Wembley.
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If we are nearing the end of Guardiola’s era at City, the FA Cup holds additional significance. While he might be stepping down, a new core of players is emerging. Many from the treble-winning squad of 2023 have transitioned out, replaced by talents such as Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guéhi, Antoine Semenyo, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Guardiola emphasized the importance of instilling a winning mentality in this new group, much like Éderson, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gündogan, and Kevin De Bruyne did in previous seasons. The Carabao Cup victory is a step in the right direction, but another triumph against Chelsea would further cement their progress.
Guardiola recognizes that winning breeds further success, and clinching both the Carabao and FA Cups can serve as a springboard for future achievements.
“There’s a hunger for victory within the club,” O’Reilly stated in an exclusive ESPN interview ahead of the final. “Last season was difficult as we didn’t win anything, and that was tough for us. Bouncing back with the Carabao Cup and possibly winning the FA Cup while in contention for the league has made this season much more enjoyable for us as players.” He continued, “We’re a young squad with experienced leaders who guide us. We have a lot of new talent, and we hope to accomplish great things moving forward.”
Guardiola still has a year remaining on his contract. Some within the club are hopeful he may stay for another season. With another Premier League title within reach and possibly a Championship League title in the future, should Guardiola leave this summer—potentially to Enzo Maresca, his successor—he will pass on a team well-prepared to continue his legacy.
Trips to Wembley have become commonplace for City under Guardiola, and so have the trophies. The FA Cup final against Chelsea could be remembered as the closing chapter of his remarkable tenure. — Rob Dawson
The Perspective from Chelsea
At the beginning of the season in August, many within Chelsea’s camp—including fans, players, directors, and owners—would have gladly settled for a place in the FA Cup final by the end of May. The Blues have a reputation for collecting trophies, including last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League a year prior, and maintaining this winning culture, even with the FA Cup, would provide a much-needed boost. However, no one could have anticipated that this final would represent the sole silver lining in an otherwise chaotic season.
Three managerial changes, as many Premier League defeats as wins, an embarrassing early exit from the UEFA Champions League, and a record of six consecutive league losses for the first time in three decades have left Chelsea sitting ninth in the standings with two games remaining. Additionally, players have openly criticized the club’s management, highlighting a disconnect that suggests Chelsea is suffering from a significant identity crisis and facing massive financial losses.
Despite the challenges, hope is not entirely lost! In this moment of turmoil, the FA Cup could serve as a potential salvation for the season, presenting a chance to qualify for Europe (even if it’s via the Europa League, which their league position doesn’t permit). While fans may retain their dissatisfaction with the current American ownership, seizing the FA Cup could offer a flicker of optimism at the end of an arduous journey that has characterized this season.
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Andrey Santos emphasizes, “anything can happen,” as Chelsea prepares for the FA Cup Final against Manchester City.
In anticipating the clash with City in the FA Cup final, Chelsea’s Andrey Santos shares with ESPN that he expects a “challenging matchup against a top team.”
Calum McFarlane will guide the team onto the pitch at Wembley. Ironically, it marks the second time this season he leads Chelsea against Guardiola’s City as the interim manager. Following Enzo Maresca’s dismissal and before Liam Rosenior’s appointment—both moves seen as missteps—McFarlane took charge of the first team during a commendable 1-1 draw at the Etihad in January, where Chelsea’s expected goals outperformed City’s (1.85 to 1.02).
Since that match, McFarlane has struggled. He failed to secure wins in his first league matches against Fulham (2-1), Forest (3-1), and Liverpool (1-1). Chelsea also narrowly advanced past Leeds in the FA Cup semifinal (1-0).
On Saturday, the interim coach will need a standout performance, whether it comes from Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, João Pedro, or a collectively spirited performance. Entering as underdogs may actually serve Chelsea well.
Recent FA Cup finals have been unkind to Chelsea, suffering defeats in their last three appearances at Wembley in the competition (against Liverpool in 2022, Leicester in 2021, and Arsenal in 2020 during Covid). Their last triumph in the FA Cup dates back to 2018 when they faced Manchester United.
This time around, the Blues will need some of that winning Cup magic on their side if they hope to salvage their season. Failing that, another defeat would reinforce this season’s position as one of the worst in recent memory. — Julien Laurens
Predictions!
Man City 3-1 Chelsea: City has a cohesive squad and is in great form, whereas Chelsea struggles to find consistency. — Dawson
Man City 2-1 Chelsea: While this presents a tricky challenge for Guardiola and City, given their focus on the league title with a congested schedule, they remain too strong for a Chelsea squad currently lacking in form. — Laurens