Enzo Fernandez headed Chelsea into the fa cup final with a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Wembley on April 26, 2026. His first-half goal settled a match Chelsea needed after five straight Premier League defeats without scoring and four days after Liam Rosenior was dismissed.
Fernandez and Neto at Wembley
Pedro Neto provided the cross, Fernandez met it, and Chelsea had the only goal they needed. The captain’s header was his 13th goal of the season in all competitions, and it carried Chelsea back to the final stage of the competition.
Calum McFarlane was in charge as interim head coach for the match, and Chelsea handled the decisive moment without needing a second strike. The result extended a run that had been under heavy pressure, because the team entered this semifinal after losing five straight league matches and failing to score in any of them.
Leeds Pressed Sanchez
Leeds had chances to change the match before and after the break. Ao Tanaka sent a free kick over the crossbar early, Brenden Aaronson forced Robert Sanchez into a low save with an outstretched leg, and Anton Stach made the goalkeeper parry a thumping drive after halftime.
Those openings never became the equalizer Leeds needed. Daniel Farke’s side also missed out on a first FA Cup final appearance since 1973, and their last run to the last four had come in 1987.
Chelsea Return to May 16
Chelsea will face Manchester City in the final on May 16. It will be Chelsea’s first FA Cup final since 2022, when they lost to Liverpool on penalties, and the club now has another chance to add to a record that includes seven FA Cup wins, 13 finals and 17 semifinals.
For Chelsea, the win does more than end a bad week. It resets the season’s focus around one trip back to Wembley, with Fernandez’s header standing as the moment that turned a poor league spell into a place in the final.
