The Oldest Football Cup Final Between Manchester City and Chelsea

Manchester City are aiming to add a second trophy to their cabinet this season when they face Chelsea on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup final, the oldest competition in world football.

Pep Guardiola’s side already lifted the League Cup this season after defeating Arsenal in the final, while they continue to chase the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table, sitting second and just two points behind with two rounds remaining.

City are looking to continue their domestic dominance by securing a second title this season, while Chelsea view the final as a last opportunity to salvage an underwhelming campaign, as winning the cup would secure European qualification with the Blues currently sitting ninth in the league.

City head into the final with high spirits following their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in a postponed league fixture, though Guardiola remains aware that the congested fixture schedule could become a major challenge, especially with a difficult clash against Bournemouth awaiting them next Tuesday.

Guardiola expressed concerns over the physical fatigue affecting his players despite rotating heavily against Palace, resting key names such as Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, Frenchman Rayan Cherki and Belgian winger Jérémy Doku.

Manchester City will contest the FA Cup final for the fourth consecutive season in an unprecedented achievement, but they will be hoping to avoid repeating the disappointment of their previous two defeats against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

As for Guardiola, who previously won the competition in 2019 and 2023, he is targeting a third FA Cup title and his 20th trophy with the club since taking charge a decade ago.

Here are the most prominent statistics that could help you predict the correct score with Betway:

• Manchester City are the first team ever to reach the FA Cup final four consecutive times, having beaten Manchester United in 2023 before losing to the Red Devils in 2024 and Crystal Palace in 2025. Chelsea, meanwhile, remain the only club to have lost three consecutive FA Cup finals between 2020 and 2022.
• This will be Chelsea’s 17th appearance in the FA Cup final, placing them third for most final appearances behind Manchester United (22) and Arsenal (21). The Blues have won eight finals and lost eight.
• Since Manchester City’s defeat to Chelsea in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, they have remained unbeaten in their last 13 encounters with the Blues across all competitions, recording 10 wins and three draws — their longest unbeaten run against Chelsea.
• Since the 2016-17 season, Manchester City (45 wins) and Chelsea (37 wins) have been the two most successful teams in the FA Cup. They have also scored the most goals in the competition during that period, with City netting 159 goals compared to Chelsea’s 111, while also recording the most clean sheets, with 28 for City and 26 for Chelsea.
• Manchester City have won 21 of their last 23 matches in the competition.
• Across the last two FA Cup campaigns, no player has contributed to more goals than Manchester City’s Belgian winger Jérémy Doku, with three goals and five assists.
• Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández has contributed to six goals in nine FA Cup appearances for Chelsea, scoring four goals and providing two assists, including the winning goal in the semi-final against Leeds this season.
• Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is aiming to score his first goal in a final for Manchester City after playing in nine finals for the club.

As anticipation builds for the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley, fans can elevate the excitement with Betway’s extensive football betting experience. From correct score predictions and goalscorer markets to competitive odds on every major moment, Betway delivers everything football fans in Kuwait and across the region need to enjoy one of the biggest matches of the season.