Chelsea – Manchester City: City Lift The FA Cup Without Getting Out Of Second Gear (0-1)

Man City beat Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley to lift the 2025/26 FA Cup trophy. A pensive game ended with Antoine Semenyo’s flicked goal giving City the 1-0 win as Chelsea barely threatened the City goal. The win meant that Guardiola’s side won their second trophy of the season after their Carabao Cup win over Arsenal, as Chelsea were left biting the dust.

Tactical analysis and match report by Gaurav Krishnan.

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On a summer afternoon as Wembley was buzzing & bubbling with expectation, a rather maligned Chelsea side lined up against Manchester City in the FA Cup Final of the 25/26 season. City were looking to close out their season in typical Guardiola fashion, finishing strong & winning titles while Chelsea were the underdogs yet again, managed by interim boss Calum McFarlane as they looked to salvage another season of disappointment after their managerial outgoings this season.

It’s been a long and hard season and one to forget for Chelsea fans. Despite their manager upheaval through the season with Enzo Maresca’s sacking midway and Liam Rosenior’s brief & abysmal stint as Chelsea boss, the Blues still found themselves in the FA Cup Final against Man City. However, a tepid performance under interim boss Calum McFarlane meant that the Blues wouldn’t lift any silverware this season.

This was arguably Chelsea’s biggest game of the season. A win meant they would have a trophy to show for and a qualification spot for the Europa League. With the Blues adrift in the Premier League table, this was perhaps their only way to get European football next season. But on the night, a pensive and pragmatic set up by McFarlane ceded possession to City as the Blues couldn’t execute their gameplan to trouble the Citizens.

City came into this game challenging Arsenal for the Premier League title and having lifted the Carabao Cup against the Gunners earlier this season. In this game, Guardiola’s side dominated the ball and created more chances and openings against the Blues and it was Antoine Semenyo’s flicked effort which was the deciding factor that gave City the 1-0 win and the FA Cup trophy.

In the end, Chelsea finished the game with just a single shot on target as City comfortably strolled to a routine win without getting out of second gear. City dominated the game, and apart from some penalty shouts for Chelsea, the Blues largely were contained by City and failed to trouble Guardiola’s side on the evening.

For most Chelsea fans, the announcement of Xabi Alonso taking over as manager next season, which was announced just the day after their FA Cup loss to City, perhaps slightly mitigated the disappointment of their FA Cup defeat. This season will be one Blues fans will hope to quickly forget as all eyes turn to next season under Alonso. While for City, they will certainly push Arsenal all the way in the Premier League with the Gunners’ slender lead being the difference between Arteta and Guardiola’s men with the impending run-in surely going to go neck and neck until the very end.

Chelsea lined up in a 3-4-2-1 shape. Robert Sanchez started in goal with a back three of Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Jorrel Hato. Malo Gusto started at right wing-back and Marc Cucurella at left wing-back with Reece James and Moises Caicedo anchoring the midfield double pivot. Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer started as the dual attacking midfielders while Joao Pedro led the line up front.

Man City lined up in a 4-2-2-2 formation. James Trafford started in goal with a back four of Matheus Nunes at right-back, Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi at center-back and Nico O’Reilly at left back. The midfield pivot was anchored by Rodri and Bernardo Silva with Antoine Semenyo down the right flank, Jeremy Doku down the left flank as the front two of Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland led the line up front.

City Dominate Possession In The First Half

City’s 4-2-2-2 or 4-4-2 shape shifted into their regular 3-2-5/3-1-6 build up in their in possession IP shape. One of the pivot of Rodri or more regularly Bernardo Silva dropped into the back line to progress the ball, otherwise Nunes tucked inside making it a back three as Rodri and Bernardo Silva maintained the pivot in a 3-2 build up shape.

Guardiola’s side relied on central overloads, and their inverted full-backs usually O’Reilly aggressively overlapping and inverting. Meanwhile their two strikers split to stretch the Chelsea defense. Rodri’s return to the side provided control and recycling centrally, allowing Bernardo Silva to push forward or shift positions to progress the ball. City’s narrow attacking shapes created half-space overloads with 3v2 or 2v1 situations. The full-backs Nunes and O’Reilly supported with width or inverted, while wingers Semenyo & Doku stayed high and direct.

In their OOP shape Chelsea defended in a 5-2-3/5-4-1 block that used press triggers on City when they shifted possession wide or tried to progress centrally. Chelsea kept it compact between the lines, as City aimed to play through the opposition block by baiting the press. When City recycled possession to their back three, Chelsea aimed to press man-to-man to deny City progression.

City’s 3-2-5 IP build-up shape vs Chelsea’s 5-2-3 OOP block.

A common theme in the game, especially in the first half was Fofana jumping from CB onto O’Reilly who often inverted to create midfield superiority for City centrally. Meanwhile, James and Caicedo aimed to occupy the City pivots of Rodri and Bernardo Silva. However, this left space in wider areas where Doku and Semenyo looked to isolate the Chelsea wing-backs 1v1.

Chelsea’s 5-2-3 vs City’s build up. O’Reilly inverts from LB as Fofana aggressively jumps onto him (a recurring theme in the game). Meanwhile, Chelsea’s double pivot of James and Caicedo press the City pivot of Rodri and Bernardo Silva as Semenyo and Doku isolate the Chelsea FBs 1v1. While Haaland and Marmoush attempt to make runs in behind the Chelsea back three.

On the Chelsea right, Cole Palmer tracked back to double up on Doku along with Gusto, and Doku’s dangerous play & influence down the City left from their recent earlier games this month was perhaps negated slightly.

Haaland dropped into midfield at times, to create space for Marmoush to make runs in behind which also enabled Bernardo Silva to have more space to create attacks centrally as Chelsea’s double pivot was overloaded in 3v2 and 2v1s. However, Marmoush was largely ineffective and was duly subbed off by Guardiola at half-time.

Haaland drops deep from the CF position to open up space for Bernardo Silva to playmake centrally on the other side, and for Marmoush to run in behind the Chelsea backline. Here Fofana attempts to jump aggressively on O’Reilly who has slightly inverted, but with Haaland’s movement Chelsea’s back three is stretched as O’Reilly plays a line breaking pass to release Marmoush down the left. However, the move breaks down shortly after.

The first half ended with City having 59% of the ball but not creating many clear cut openings as Chelsea’s back five held firm. Other than Haaland’s tap-in goal ruled out for offside in the 27th minute as Nunes had strayed into an offside position, City were largely passive creating largely speculative efforts like from Semenyo & Haaland as the Chelsea defense did their job. Whilst at the other end, other than Joao Pedro being released by a brilliant pass by Enzo Fernandez on a quick breakaway, the Cheslea forward’s slip while taking a shot in the City box was Chelsea’s best half chance of the first half.

Cherki Comes On At Half Time As Spaces Open Up

Chelsea’s 3-4-2-1 persisted in their in-possession IP shape. The key ball progressor for Chelsea was Levi Colwill who played several passes breaking the City lines through the middle and finding either the Chelsea pivot of Caicedo and James or Chelsea’s wide midfielders whether Enzo Fernandez on the left or Cole Palmer on the right. 

This complemented Enzo and Palmer’s movement as they peeled away into wider areas in the gap between the City CBs and FBs. At times, Colwill also played it directly into Joao Pedro who dropped from the ST position on a few occasions. This allowed Chelsea more possession and slightly more dangerous attacks in the second half compared to the first half where City were dominant. Colwill completed 90% of his passes completing 73/81 passes, as his line splitting passes formed the base for Chelsea’s ball progression and in turn, their attacking threat in the second half.

Two examples of Levi Colwill’s line breaking passes from CB. In image 1, he plays a line breaking pass to Enzo who has dropped into the left midfield pocket. While in image 2, Colwill splits the City front line and midfield lines to play a pass straight into Joao Pedro who has dropped from the ST position.

City meanwhile deployed a 4-2-4 OOP press shape. In the first half, Haaland and Marmoush led the press alongside the wide players Doku and Semenyo forming the front four of their pressing shape. Rodri and Bernardo Silva sat in the City pivot duly pressing the Chelsea pivot of James & Caicedo and negating ball progression, however, Colwill’s passes managed to break that City strategy as he fed the Chelsea attackers whether Joao Pedro who dropped from ST or Enzo or Palmer, whilst one of Chelsea’s pivot, either James or Caicedo would use a drop movement into the back line to open up space for Colwill’s line breaking passes. However, the City back line remained in a flat four and compact against any Chelsea breakaways and attacks.

The key change from Guardiola came after half-time as he brought on Rayan Cherki for Marmoush. Cherki took up dangerous positions in the half spaces, especially on the City right flank, dropping into spaces between Hato and Cucurella and supporting Nunes and Semenyo. This opened up a lot of space and left Cucurella having to jump either on Cherki or Semenyo more often whilst Hato and Colwill were also forced to vacate the deep Chelsea block leaving gaps in behind.

Cherki operated in the right half space for City combining with Nunes and Semenyo. This created confusion for the Chelsea back line, with Cucurella forced to jump on either Cherki or Semenyo while Hato and Colwill were also dragged out of their block because of Cherki’s movement.

Semenyo’s Flick Seals It As Game Becomes Transitional

The game became much more transitional as the second half progressed. The Chelsea wing backs also began to push higher to support Chelsea’s wide attacking midfielders Palmer and Enzo. Cucurella often inverted into the space between the City CBs and FBs along with Enzo who peeled away into the left half spaces, while Gusto on the Chelsea right also pushed forward to overlap and support Palmer.

Chelsea’s attacks in the 2nd half. Enzo and Palmer peeled off from their AM positions slightly wider. Meanwhile on the left, Cucurella inverted while Hato overlapped alongside Enzo. While on the right Gusto pushed up and overlaped with Palmer moving wider. However, City’s defense held firm.

However, despite Chelsea’s impetus with their attacking play and movement, the City back line held firm denying the Blues any clear cut chances or openings. This was Guardiola’s defense staying compact and solid at the back and largely containing most Chelsea attacks, whether they came from crosses and balls into the box or trying to play their attackers through the City block between their CBs and FBs.

There were some penalty shouts for Chelsea as Khusanov brought down Joao Pedro and then Jorrel Hato in the box on a couple of Chelsea breaks. However, the referee and VAR ruled them out. Purists would argue that they were fair shoulder barges from the City defender, however, they became huge talking points from pundits and fans alike after the game.

Meanwhile, City aimed to capitalise in transition as Chelsea pushed forward in search of a goal. By then Guardiola had subbed on Mateo Kovacic for Rodri with the Spanish midfielder looking a bit leggy.

Cherki kept taking up positions of influence, but that pivotal moment City were looking for came eventually in the 72nd minute. Bernardo Silva played in Erling Haaland who peeled away wider in the box after a bit of interplay with the City captain. Haaland then crossed a cut-back low and into a dangerous area where Semenyo had moved into. Semenyo flicked Haaland’s cross into the Chelsea net as Colwill’s last-ditch tackle couldn’t block Semenyo’s clever effort. The ball evaded Sanchez and went into the bottom corner. That was 1-0 to City with just around 20 minutes left to play.

Calum McFarlane introduced Pedro Neto for Cucurella as Chelsea searched for an equaliser and Neto did have a shot blocked by the City defense in the closing stages. The game became much more chaotic as Chelsea pushed bodies forward, but City made clever fouls and largely didn’t allow the Blues back into the game.

In the end, the City defense did its job as Chelsea barely tested Trafford in the City goal with just 1 SoT in the whole game. City closed out the game in added time and duly lifted the FA Cup after the full-time whistle, claiming their second trophy of the season.

Takeaways

This was a thoroughly professional performance from Guardiola’s City side as they stuck to their gameplan and strengths aided by Guardiola’s clever substitutions. They scored when it mattered and stayed largely compact at the back denying Chelsea any openings restricting the Blues to just one SoT in the whole game. In the end, they walked away from Wembley winning the FA Cup to win their second trophy of the season as Chelsea were left biting the dust. They will now aim to push Arsenal all the way in the Premier League title race.

For Chelsea, this loss was the final nail in the coffin of a season to forget for the Blues and their fans. With their managerial merry-go-round continuing this season as both Maresca and his replacement Liam Rosenior were sacked, it was perhaps an uphill struggle for Chelsea with interim boss Calum McFarlane pitting his wits against Guardiola in this final. In the end, the Blues came up short at Wembley as they remain in 9th in the Premier League and adrift of European football next season. However, with the announcement of Xabi Alonso as their new manager coming just after their FA Cup defeat, all eyes for Chelsea will be on next season as they look to get back to challenging at the top for major titles again under Alonso’s management.