Chelsea vs. Man City live score: FA Cup final result, updates, stats from Wembley as Rodri, Marmoush start

Chelsea vs. Man City live score: FA Cup final result, updates, stats from Wembley as Rodri, Marmoush start originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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• Chelseavs. Man City FA Cup final live score
• Latest updates, highlights and commentary
• Kickoff time where you are
• Team news
• Where to watch the game

Manchester City are seeking to complete England’s domestic cup double when they take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Pep Guardiola’s side beat Arsenal 2-0 in March’s Carabao Cup final thanks to a Nico O’Reilly brace.

They are unbeaten against English opposition since the Manchester derby back in January, and victory would see Guardiola lift the 20th trophy of his City tenure. It would also keep his team on track to repeat their 2018/19 domestic treble, although the destiny of the title lies firmly in Arsenal’s hands.

Chelsea’s form this season has collapsed, with FA Cup matches standing as their only wins in the past 12 matches across all competitions.

Interim head coach Calum McFarlane did manage to mastermind a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium during his first temporary spell in charge, however, and Chelsea held Liverpool to the same scoreline at Anfield last week.

The London club are eight-time FA Cup winners, one ahead of City in the all-time rankings. Guardiola’s team are the first to reach four consecutive finals, although they have lost their past two.

The Sporting News is following the FA Cup final live, providing score updates and commentary

Chelsea vs. Man City FA Cup final score

Venue: Wembley Stadium (London, UK)
Referee: Darren England

Starting lineups:

Chelsea (3-4-2-1, right to left): 1. Robert Sanchez (GK) – 29. Wesley Fofana, 6. Levi Colwill, 21. Jorrel Hato – 27. Malo Gusto, 24. Reece James, 25. Moises Caicedo, 3. Marc Cucurella – 10. Cole Palmer, 8. Enzo Fernandez – 20. Joao Pedro

Man City (4-2-3-1 right to left): 1. James Trafford (GK) — 27. Matheus Nunes, 45. Abdukodir Khusanov, 15. Marc Guehi, 33. Nico O’Reilly — 16. Rodri, 20. Bernardo Silva — 42. Antoine Semenyo, 7. Omar Marmoush, 11. Jeremy Doku — 9. Erling Haaland

Chelsea vs. Man City FA Cup final live updates, highlights, and commentary

Kickoff: 1st Half

Chelsea get us underway, back to Sanchez. He pumps it long. City settle into some possession.

5 mins before kickoff: Here are the teams. It’s been subdued before during the build-up, but the atmosphere has whipped up now. The past 10 FA Cup finals have featured one of these teams, but it’s the first time they’ve played each other in the showpiece. Quirky.

10 mins before kickoff: As FA Cup final traditional dictates, we’re now having the official tournament hymn Abide With Me. Always a beautiful moment, sung this year by Bradford’s Bantam of the Opera choir and the Band of the Household Cavalry. Now we’re into big tunes, displays and pyro. The two teams will be with us shortly.

30 mins before kickoff: There’s plenty of speculation still swirling over whether or not Pep Guardiola will see out the final year of his contract at Manchester City next season. If he does, there might be some bridges to mend and decision to make with some of his squad members. Rodri’s recovery means City came into this game with a fully-fit first-team squad. As a consequence, Nico Gonzlez, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Josko Gvardiol and Rico Lewis are not even in the matchday squad. Gvardiol only returned from a broken leg in midweek, when Ait-Nouri also started. Lewis essentially disappeared from view a few months ago, but Nico’s absence is the most noteworthy. The Spanish holding midfielder scored a screaming winner in the semifinal against Southampton but followed that up with a poor showing in the 3-3 draw at Everton. This is the second consecutive game where he has not made the matchday squad despite being the only specialist cover for Rodri.

It feels a safe bet there will be a market for Nico this summer. It’s felt for some time as if the same could be said for Marmoush, but a match-winning performance in a cup final might yet alter the trajectory of the Egypt star’s City career.

Getty Images

45 mins before kickoff: Here’s a the Chelsea team. Levi Colwill keeps his place in the starting XI for only his second match since an ACL injury decimated his season. Colwill is part of a back three with Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato. Captain Reece James starts in central midfield, with Malo Gusto at wing-back. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez will play in support of Joao Pedro in attack.

Lining up for Chelsea! 💪#CFC | #EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/1IllsmOwHc

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 16, 2026

1 hour before kickoff: The teams are in. Omar Marmoush is rewarded for his goals in City’s past two matches with a start, playing off Erling Haaland. It means Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden must be content with spots on the bench. Rodri returns from a groin injury for his first start since last month’s Premier League win over Arsenal. How many minutes does the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner have in his legs? Marc Guehi starts the cup final 12 months on from skippering Crystal Palace to victory over City in this fixture.

Your FA Cup final line-up! ​​💪🩵

XI | Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo (C), Semenyo, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Donnarumma, Dias, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Cherki, Savinho, Foden

🤝 @etihadpic.twitter.com/VmKbV57Pr0

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 16, 2026

1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: Plenty of observers have remarked that this isn’t exactly an FA Cup final teeming with the old magic. But what about the prospect of Calum McFarlane, the rookie Chelsea interim manager and former Manchester City youth coach picking up the trophy at the expense of his old employers and arguably the best manager in modern football history in Pep Guardiola? Doesn’t that whet your whistle? 

If Chelsea are to get the job done they’ll have to overturn wretched runs of form, both in the immediate past and in this fixture over the past five years. The last time the Blues won a non-FA Cup game was 12 matches ago against Aston Villa on March 4. Liam Rosenior, remember him? Anyway, Chelsea are also winless in 13 matches against City, losing 10. Their last win? Only the 2021 Champions League final…

2 hours before kickoff. Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of Chelsea vs. Manchester City in the 145th FA Cup final.

Chelsea vs. Man City FA Cup final kick off time

The FA Cup final kicks off in London at 3 p.m. local time.

Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Chelsea vs. Man City FA Cup final match facts

• The two clubs have met on 182 previous occasions with Chelsea just holding the historic win advantage — 71 to 69.
• However, the Blues haven’t beaten City since the last time they met in a final when Thomas Tuchel won the 2021 Champions League. 
• In the 13 games since, City have won 10, including twice in the FA Cup. 

Chelsea vs. Man City FA Cup final team news

Chelsea

• After deploying a back three for the draw at Liverpool, Calum McFarlane sticks with a similar formation here. 
• Reece James is alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield, with Malo Gusto starting at right wing-back.
• Levi Colwill starts in a remarkable turn of events after missing almost the entire season with an ACL injury. 

Man City

• Pep Guardiola brings back most of his big guns after resting the likes of Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku for the win over Palace. 
• Rodri has not played since the win over Arsenal last month but is in from the start.
• Marc Guehi is free to play because the FA changed its rules at the start of the season, allowing players to play for two clubs in one campaign. He had already featured in Palace’s shock defeat to Macclesfield having captained the Eagles to the trophy 12 months ago.
• Omar Marmoush has scored in City’s past two matches and gets a start.

Chelsea vs. Man City FA Cup final live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions: