Manchester City v Chelsea Preview
Manchester City and Chelsea will face off in the FA Cup final this Saturday, 16 May 2026, at 3.00 pm at Wembley. The match will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC Sport, TNT Sports, TNT Sports 1 and HBO MAX.

Manchester City
Manchester City are aiming for a domestic cup double in England after winning the EFL Cup in March at the same venue against Arsenal. The match is crucial, as they are not in control of their own destiny in the Premier League and need to win the FA Cup; if they only lift the EFL Cup this season, the year will be considered a failure.
As such, Pep Guardiola is expected to hold nothing back and field his strongest line-up. They have comfortably won their last two Premier League matches, allowing him to manage the playing time of his key players. Manchester City are in better form than Chelsea and know that if they play to their usual standard, they will be crowned FA Cup champions.
Manchester City players injured for the FA Cup final
Rodri and Gvardiol
Suspended players for Manchester City in the FA Cup final
Manchester City have no suspended players for this match
Manchester City’s latest results
- Burnley 0-1 Manchester City
- Manchester City 2-1 Southampton
- Everton 3-3 Manchester City
- Manchester City 3-0 Brentford
- Manchester City 3-0 Crystal Palace
Chelsea
Chelsea, for their part, have their entire season riding on this final. The Stamford Bridge side have missed out on the Champions League for next season, and face an uphill battle to secure a Europa League spot via the Premier League. Furthermore, this is their only chance to win a trophy and avoid ending the season empty-handed.
Calum McFarlane’s side arrive following a draw at Anfield against Liverpool. However, the question mark for the London side is how they will perform, as their season has been very inconsistent. Chelsea’s interim manager is well aware of the opposition’s superiority, so he will look to keep things very tight at the back; otherwise, they will have no chance.
Chelsea injury news ahead of the FA Cup final
Estevao, Gittens, Garnacho, Mudryk and Pedro Neto
Suspended Chelsea players for the FA Cup final
Chelsea have no suspended players for this match
Chelsea’s latest results
- Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City
- Brighton 3-0 Chelsea
- Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United
- Chelsea 1-3 Nottingham Forest
- Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea
Manchester City v Chelsea: statistics
Manchester City have conceded just one draw in their last nine competitive matches. Furthermore, they have scored in eleven consecutive matches, netting 25 goals in the process. Chelsea, meanwhile, have managed only two wins in their last ten matches. Moreover, they have lost seven of those and have only managed to keep a clean sheet against Port Vale of League One, England’s third tier.
Manchester City v Chelsea: predictions
Manchester City go into the match as clear favourites. They are in much better form than their opponents, who are struggling to play as a unit and to be consistent. Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s side have more quality across all lines and already know what it’s like to win a final at Wembley this season. Therefore, it would be a huge surprise if Manchester City did not win the FA Cup.



