Chelsea and Manchester City meet at Wembley on Saturday for the first FA Cup semi-final of the weekend, live on talkSPORT.
The Premier League giants are battling it out to book a place in the final to face Manchester United and Coventry City.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have already been beaten in a showpiece clash this season, losing to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in February.
They will aim to leave Wembley on a high this time around, as they take on last year’s winners Man City, who were knocked out of the Champions League in midweek.
City were kicked out of Europe by Real Madrid following a dramatic penalty shootout on Wednesday night.
Chelsea vs Man City: penalty drama
City would love revenge from the penalty spot, but Chelsea are hoping for anything but on Saturday.
Otherwise, there’s a chance they’ll fight for penalties again!
Against Everton last time, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson had to be pulled away from Cole Palmer after arguing over who took a penalty.
Madueke picked up the ball to take it before Jackson snatched it away from him to have it for himself.
Palmer then stepped in to catch him and pushed Jackson away as he put the ball on the spot before Conor Gallagher had to get involved to stop them bickering.
The former Man City man eventually scored his fourth goal of the game to lead Chelsea to a 6-0 victory, but it was the debacle before that grabbed the headlines.
- Chelsea have been eliminated in five of their last seven FA Cup matches against Manchester City, including in the third round last season. However, they beat the Citizens 1-0 the last time they faced them in the semi-final of the competition (2020-21).
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (W6 D2), although both matches between the Premier League sides this season ended in a draw.
Chelsea vs Man City: team news
Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Gusto, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Gallagher; Jackson.
Subs: Bettinelli, Badiashile, Disasi, Gilchrist, Chilwell, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk, Sterling, Washington.
Man City XI: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez.
Subs: Ederson, Dias, Kovacic, Doku, Gomez, Gvardiol, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis
- This will be Chelsea’s 27th appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals, the third in the history of the competition after Manchester United (32, including 2024) and Arsenal (30). Indeed, only the Red Devils and Arsenal (21 each, before 2024) have reached the final more often than the Blues (16).
- It is the seventh time in eight seasons under Pep Guardiola that Manchester City have made the FA Cup semi-finals, while they will be the first team to do so in six consecutive campaigns in the competition. However, they have only improved on two of their previous six under the Spaniard (2019 and 2023), with three of their four defeats against London teams (2 against Arsenal, 1 against Chelsea).
Chelsea vs Man City: what was said?
Pochettino was full of praise for Palmer after he scored four goals against Everton last time out.
The Chelsea boss said: “I never judge players when they sign, it’s always that we expect the best.
“He didn’t surprise us but he’s a player with the ability to score goals.
“We saw at Manchester City that he had the ability to score easily, right?
“The way he plays is fantastic, of course. It’s incredible for the team, incredible for him, showing that the club made the right decision to sign him.
- Chelsea have been eliminated on five of the last six occasions against the FA Cup holders in the competition. However, they won their last such encounter, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the quarter-final of the 2017 edition.
- Manchester City are looking to reach the FA Cup final in consecutive campaigns for the third time in their history, having done so in 1933/1934 and 1955/1956.
Chelsea vs Man City: talkSPORT coverage
This FA Cup semi-final will take place on Saturday April 20.
Kick-off at Wembley Stadium is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.
talkSPORT will cover the match live, presented by Adrian Durham.
Comments will come from Sam Matterface and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.
Chelsea and Manchester City meet at Wembley on Saturday for the first FA Cup semi-final of the weekend, live on talkSPORT.
The Premier League giants are battling it out to book a place in the final to face Manchester United and Coventry City.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have already been beaten in a showpiece clash this season, losing to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in February.
They will aim to leave Wembley on a high this time around, as they take on last year’s winners Man City, who were knocked out of the Champions League in midweek.
City were kicked out of Europe by Real Madrid following a dramatic penalty shootout on Wednesday night.
Chelsea vs Man City: penalty drama
City would love revenge from the penalty spot, but Chelsea are hoping for anything but on Saturday.
Otherwise, there’s a chance they’ll fight for penalties again!
Against Everton last time, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson had to be pulled away from Cole Palmer after arguing over who took a penalty.
Madueke picked up the ball to take it before Jackson snatched it away from him to have it for himself.
Palmer then stepped in to catch him and pushed Jackson away as he put the ball on the spot before Conor Gallagher had to get involved to stop them bickering.
The former Man City man eventually scored his fourth goal of the game to lead Chelsea to a 6-0 victory, but it was the debacle before that grabbed the headlines.
- Chelsea have been eliminated in five of their last seven FA Cup matches against Manchester City, including in the third round last season. However, they beat the Citizens 1-0 the last time they faced them in the semi-final of the competition (2020-21).
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (W6 D2), although both matches between the Premier League sides this season ended in a draw.
Chelsea vs Man City: team news
Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Gusto, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Gallagher; Jackson.
Subs: Bettinelli, Badiashile, Disasi, Gilchrist, Chilwell, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk, Sterling, Washington.
Man City XI: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez.
Subs: Ederson, Dias, Kovacic, Doku, Gomez, Gvardiol, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis
- This will be Chelsea’s 27th appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals, the third in the history of the competition after Manchester United (32, including 2024) and Arsenal (30). Indeed, only the Red Devils and Arsenal (21 each, before 2024) have reached the final more often than the Blues (16).
- It is the seventh time in eight seasons under Pep Guardiola that Manchester City have made the FA Cup semi-finals, while they will be the first team to do so in six consecutive campaigns in the competition. However, they have only improved on two of their previous six under the Spaniard (2019 and 2023), with three of their four defeats against London teams (2 against Arsenal, 1 against Chelsea).
Chelsea vs Man City: what was said?
Pochettino was full of praise for Palmer after he scored four goals against Everton last time out.
The Chelsea boss said: “I never judge players when they sign, it’s always that we expect the best.
“He didn’t surprise us but he’s a player with the ability to score goals.
“We saw at Manchester City that he had the ability to score easily, right?
“The way he plays is fantastic, of course. It’s incredible for the team, incredible for him, showing that the club made the right decision to sign him.
- Chelsea have been eliminated on five of the last six occasions against the FA Cup holders in the competition. However, they won their last such encounter, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the quarter-final of the 2017 edition.
- Manchester City are looking to reach the FA Cup final in consecutive campaigns for the third time in their history, having done so in 1933/1934 and 1955/1956.
Chelsea vs Man City: talkSPORT coverage
This FA Cup semi-final will take place on Saturday April 20.
Kick-off at Wembley Stadium is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.
talkSPORT will cover the match live, presented by Adrian Durham.
Comments will come from Sam Matterface and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.