Chelsea v Man City: All the facts and stats ahead of the FA Cup semi-final

Chelsea face holders Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday aiming to reach a second cup final of the season.

By Jon Turner | April 18, 2024

Fresh from the sensational 6-0 Premier League win over Everton on Monday night, Chelsea return to Wembley Stadium for the second time this season for an FA Cup semi-final showdown against holders Manchester City.

Just a week ago, this match felt as daunting as it could get – an occasion to hide behind the sofa and pray for the best. The Blues had recently thrown away another lead to draw with another lowly team, the 2-2 against Sheffield United coming two games after the 2-2 draw with Burnley unfolded the same way.

City, meanwhile, had just rattled off another comfortable Premier League victory, scoring four goals for the second straight match. The champions then made it three in a row with a 5-1 win over Luton at the weekend.

What a difference three days can make, though. Chelsea prepare for the FA Cup clash following their finest performance of the season – and (finally!) a first clean sheet in 13 games.

City, on the other hand, need to quickly regroup physically and mentally after a gruelling penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.

Can Pep Guardiola’s side sufficiently recover in just three days to keep alive their domestic double? Or can Chelsea take advantage of their fresher legs and minds to reach the final? This really is a fantastic opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino and his players.

Ahead of the match, here are all the facts and stats you need to know…

Chelsea v Man City FA Cup stats

• Chelsea and City have faced each other a total of 177 times; Chelsea have won 71, lost 65, and drawn 41.

• Chelsea and City have met eight times in the FA Cup; Chelsea have won three and lost five.

• Chelsea have been eliminated from the FA Cup in five of their last seven ties against City, including most recently in last season’s third round. However, the Blues did beat City the last time the teams met in the semi-finals (1-0 in 2020/21).

• Chelsea have not beaten City in their last eight meetings in all competitions (lost 6, drawn 2), although both Premier League games this season ended in draws.

• Chelsea are making their 27^th appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals – only Manchester United (32) and Arsenal (21) have reached this stage more.

• This will be Chelsea’s 43^rd match at Wembley – only Man United have played there more.

• This will be Chelsea’s 30^th appearance since Wembley reopened in 2007, more than any other club.

• Chelsea have been eliminated from the FA Cup in five of the last six occasions they faced the holders. However, they won the most recent, beating Man United in the 2017 quarter-finals.

• City have won 28 of their last 31 FA Cup games, which included two consecutive 10-game winning runs. The last team to win more FA Cup games in a row was Chelsea with 13 (2009-2011).

• Chelsea manager Pochettino has lost four of his eight major semi-finals. He lost both of his FA Cup semi-finals with Tottenham, in 2017 and 2018, and his one semi-final meeting with Guardiola – in the 2021 Champions League with PSG.

• Raheem Sterling is aiming to become the first Chelsea player to score against City in three matches in the same season having scored in both league games this campaign. This will be the 12^th different season the two sides have met each other three or more times.

• City are looking to reach the FA Cup final in successive seasons for the third time in the club’s history. They achieved it in 1933-1934 and 1955-1956.

• Rodri has scored against Chelsea in both Premier League games this season – the Spanish midfielder has never scored against the same opponent in three consecutive games

Can Chelsea do it?

This feels like a rare ideal time to face City. Their double-treble bid is now over and they had to play 120+ minutes plus penalties against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Erling Haaland is far from firing on all cylinders and there are the first signs of slight fatigue – an inevitable consequence of Guardiola’s intense approach.

Chelsea, meanwhile, should be buzzing after Monday’s masterclass against Everton and will be the much fresher side. The Blues certainly have the talent to get the win, but will need to perform much better than their last visit to Wembley this season, when they were beaten by a depleted Liverpool side in the League Cup final.