Enzo Fernández’s sensational header from the first half helped Chelsea clinch the Emirates FA Cup final ticket from a 1-0 victory against Leeds United.
The World Champions will face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 16 at Wembley Stadium. Calum McFarlane makes it his first win in his second try as the London club interim manager.
The second Emirates FA Cup semi-final clash kicked off with both Chelsea and Leeds United pressing strongly for an early advantage.
The referee stopped the game as Malo Gusto was in pain following a tackle from a Leeds player while Chelsea were trying to build an attack.
Gusto was able to continue the game as Leeds United missed a free-kick opportunity, which was played wide by Ao Tanaka in the 4th minute.
In the 6th minute, Enzo Fernández had a clear opportunity on goal after the ball bounced well in front of him, but his strike was direct at the goalkeeper.
Robert Sanchez came to the rescue for the Blues after denying Brenden Aaronson a one-on-one moment, which could have easily been a goal.
Sanchez’s stretched-out leg was able to clear the ball away for a corner kick in the 15th minute.
Pedro Neto saw his strike blocked after receiving a good pass from Joao Pedro in the 17th minute.
Alejandro Garnacho came close after a pass from Enzo Fernandez in the 20th minute, but there was nothing much he could do as he failed to hit the target.
Enzo Fernández broke the deadlock with a beautiful header, which was scored in the 23rd minute, thanks to an assist from Pedro Neto.
It was 1-0 in favor of the Blues, who were more dominant in the match. The referee stopped as VAR checked for a possible pulling of hair from Calvert Lewin on Cucurella.
The game carried on with Joao Pedro coming close in the 30th minute, but his strike narrowly missed hitting the target.
Leeds United failed to make anything happen as the first half carried on, ending with Chelsea taking a 1-0 lead.
Leeds made two changes before the second half commenced. Jaka Bijol came off for Anton Stach, while Joe Rodon replaced James Justin.
The 47th minute of play was another moment that saw Robert Sanchez pulling off another incredible save from Anton Stach’s outside-the-box strike.
Chelsea created an opportunity in the 56th minute, but Jayden Bogle blocked Alejandro Garnacho’s strike.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin saw his well-placed header on goal get denied by Robert Sanchez, who was there to save it in the 58th minute comfortably.
Moises Caicedo was shown a yellow card following his challenge on Anton Stach in the 60th minute.
Cole Palmer was introduced into the game in the 71st minute, with Alejandro Garnacho coming off.
The match progressed, with both teams failing to capitalize on their chances, until it ended 1-0 in Chelsea’s favor after 90 minutes.
The victory for Chelsea means they will face Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup, which will be held at Wembley Stadium on May 16, 2026.
Calum McFarlane got the job done, earning himself a first final as a manager despite not holding a professional coaching license.
Robert Sanchez gave a full-time speech following the victory, and he was happy with how the team reacted.
Sanchez said: “It’s amazing, the boys reacted in the exact way they should have.
“We’ve tried to keep everything really positive in training, and this was another chance to be in a final. That’s what we’ve been working for and the boys performed.
“I’m happy, and I always try to do my job. We go through ups and downs this season, but the focus now is to try to finish it on a high note.
The win is an important one for the Chelsea players after going through a lot this season, including the sacking of Liam Rosenior.
Leeds United gave their best, but it wasn’t enough as Enzo Fernández’s header in the first half made the difference, sending Chelsea to another final.
