This season has been much like many others when it comes to the FA Cup. We have seen moments of magic, the occasional huge upset and plenty to suggest that the romance of the competition is alive and kicking. But ultimately, we have a final between two of the biggest football clubs in the world.
The semi-final lineup was particularly pleasing for those who like to see David sock it to Goliath. We had a Championship club through to the last four, while we also had Leeds United, a team that has won the FA Cup just once, last made the semis in 1986/87 and has been battling relegation all season.
The two semis took place at the weekend. While many predicted an upset in one of them, and the underdog led after 81 minutes in the other, in the end, it was Manchester City and Chelsea fans celebrating at Wembley. Those two clubs will return to the national stadium on the 16th of May, while Southampton and Leeds can now focus on completing the job regarding their league goals.
Saints Scare City Before Late Fightback
| Manchester City | Score | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| – | 0-1 | Finn Azaz (79′) |
| Jeremy Doku (82′) | 1-1 | – |
| Nico Gonzalez (87′) | 2-1 | – |
Pep Guardiola’s Man City now look like they have a great chance of turning a poor season into one that ends with three trophies. There is a long way to go in the league, but they have the EFL Cup safely tucked away in the trophy cabinet, and they came from a goal behind against Southampton to book yet another Wembley day out.
Southampton have been in brilliant form over the last three months and have earned a play-off spot in the Championship. They dumped Arsenal out in the quarters to extend a long unbeaten run that stretched back to the 17th of January. After getting the better of the Gunners, they won four league games on the spin and then came from behind to grab a draw in the game before this.
In short, they travelled to Wembley with more than just hope, and will have genuinely believed they could give City a game. City made several changes, with James Trafford, John Stones and others, such as Mateo Kovacic and Nathan Ake, making rare starts. Despite all that, the Premier League side remained huge favourites, and they denied their opponents a single shot in the first period.
City did not create much themselves, though, with just one shot on target. The second period was more open, but Southampton continued to defend well and in the 79th minute, a superb strike from Finn Azaz gave them the lead. The miracle was on. Briefly.
Sadly, in that annoying way that big clubs do, City hit back. Jeremy Doku’s deflected strike made it 1-1 just three minutes after Azaz’s goal. Five minutes after that, the turnaround was complete, as Nico Gonzalez strode forward and unleashed a strike that was worthy of both cliches and of winning any game. From almost 30 yards out, he struck the ball magnificently, and it was still rising as it flew into the top corner.
Chelsea Edge out Leeds
| Chelsea | Score | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Enzo Fernandez (23′) | 1-0 | – |
Given the respective form of the two teams, lots of fans felt that Leeds would win, despite their poor track record at Wembley and the fact that Chelsea were well clear of the West Yorkshire side in the league. The bookies made the Blues the favourites, though, unmoved by their five consecutive defeats without scoring.
Leeds started brightly, but Chelsea quickly took control of the game and were the better side in the first period. Despite that, Leeds edged the xG in the first 45 by 0.57 to 0.35, with Chelsea looking dangerous without ever really creating all that much. Aside from when they scored.
After 23 minutes, they got what turned out to be the only goal of the game, and it is hard to say it had not been coming as the Blues ramped up the pressure. Poor defending by Leeds allowed Pedro Neto the chance to deliver from the right, and good movement from Enzo Fernandez allowed the Argentine to find space in the box. He made no mistake from close range with a neat header and celebrated wildly.
Leeds made two changes at the break, switching formation, and were much better for it. Previously, their three central defenders had only really been dealing with Joao Pedro, so the switch to a back four made sense. They controlled possession and were by far the better side, but were found lacking with the ball in the final third. They boasted 57% possession in the second half and restricted the Blues to two shots (none on target). However, they themselves only had two shots that forced a save and couldn’t quite do enough to earn a draw.
The Final
When Chelsea and City meet, they will be looking to win their ninth and eighth FA Cups respectively. Both sides have lost as many finals as they have won. Rather incredibly, this will be the fourth final for both clubs in the last seven seasons, though the first in which they have played each other.
It will be Man City’s fourth FA Cup final in a row and Chelsea’s sixth in the last decade. That said, both have only won one of these recent showpieces. It should be close, but we have to fancy Pep’s City to get the job done.
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