Chelsea reaches FA Cup final after Fernandez wins against Leeds United with a header

Chelsea’s season may be unraveling, but it will still include an appearance in the FA Cup final.

Enzo Fernandez’s 23rd-minute header secured Chelsea a 1-0 win over Leeds United in the semi-final on Sunday, setting up a meeting with Manchester City in the title race on May 16.

Chelsea’s entry into the FA Cup rescues a season that has gone off the rails following a humiliating Champions League exit, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, and five consecutive defeats in the Premier League. That run marked the team’s worst run of league results in 114 years and led to the dismissal of manager Liam Rosenior in midweek.

Calum McFarlane, Rosenior’s little-known assistant, has taken charge of Chelsea until the end of the season and will now lead the side again at Wembley Stadium next month in search of a ninth FA Cup title and a first since 2018.

Fernandez met Pedro Neto’s cross from the right with a firm header low into the net for the only goal. The Argentine midfielder had recently courted controversy by speaking publicly about his desire to live in Madrid, which earned him a two-match ban from the club.

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Leeds, looking to reach their first FA Cup final since 1973, piled on the pressure in the second half, with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez notably producing a stunning one-handed save to deny Anton Stach’s piledriver.

City rallied to beat second division Southampton 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the final and stay on course for a domestic treble. Pep Guardiola’s team has already won the English League Cup and is competing with Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Chelsea last reached the final in 2022, when they lost to Liverpool on penalties.

Published on April 26, 2026