Key Takeaways
- Enzo Fernández scored the only goal to send Chelsea to the FA Cup final against Manchester City
- The victory came just days after head coach Liam Rosenior lost his job at Stamford Bridge
- Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez produced several crucial saves to deny Leeds United
Liam Rosenior must have watched with mixed emotions. Chelsea dismissed their head coach on Wednesday following a poor run of results. His former players responded with energy and determination that was absent during his four-month spell. They defeated Leeds United at Wembley thanks to a winning goal from Enzo Fernández.
Calum McFarlane now leads the team on a temporary basis. Just eight years ago, he worked as an assistant coach for Whyteleafe in the Isthmian League. He does not yet hold a professional coaching licence. Despite this, he has become the first English manager to take Chelsea to an FA Cup final since Frank Lampard. They will face Manchester City in the final next month. Pep Guardiola’s side are chasing a treble this season.
There was a clear irony in the match winner. Rosenior had dropped Fernández for two previous matches. The midfielder had reportedly shown interest in joining Real Madrid during the international break. Yet Fernández rose to head home the decisive goal after 23 minutes. His former boss surely noticed this twist of fate.
Leeds United brought thousands of supporters from West Yorkshire. They hoped to gain revenge for their defeat to Chelsea in the 1970 final replay. Daniel Farke’s team started the match with confidence. They were unbeaten in their last seven games. However, they could not find a way past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez. He produced a string of excellent saves to keep them out.
The defeat means Leeds have still not reached a final since 1973. They have also failed to score during their last four visits to Wembley. Their most recent trophy at this stadium remains the 1992 Community Shield victory over Liverpool. Eric Cantona scored in that match.
Before kick-off, Leeds supporters displayed a banner referencing their famous song “Marching on Together”. Chelsea fans sang about their history against Leeds from the 1970s. They referenced the Suggs song “Blue Day”, which came out in 1997 when Chelsea won the FA Cup under Ruud Gullit.
McFarlane took charge after Enzo Maresca left the club. His first game was a draw at Manchester City in January. He could now win Chelsea’s first domestic trophy since their 2018 FA Cup success. Back then, McFarlane was still working in non-league football. “Maybe at the end of the season reality will hit,” he said after the match. “But there is so much happening thick and fast that you do not have time to take it in.”
Leeds began the match with more attacking intent. Brenden Aaronson had the first clear chance after Trevoh Chalobah lost possession. However, Sánchez made a magnificent save to tip his shot over the bar. This stop proved crucial. Chelsea grew in confidence after this moment.
João Pedro nearly opened the scoring when he struck the near post. Fernández provided the clever pass for that opportunity. Leeds failed to learn from this warning. Pascal Struijk made a mistake when dealing with a long ball. Pedro Neto raced down the wing and delivered a perfect cross. Fernández arrived to head the ball firmly into the net. This was Chelsea’s first goal in five matches. Their last strike came during the 7-0 victory against Port Vale on 4 April.
Daniel Farke changed his tactics at half-time. Leeds came out with fresh purpose for the second half. Within the first minute, substitute Anton Stach fired a powerful shot towards the top corner. Somehow, Sánchez managed to tip it over the bar. The ball almost dropped under the crossbar as it came down.
Chelsea almost responded immediately. Fernández produced a clever backheel to set up João Pedro inside the penalty area. The Brazilian could not get his shot away. Sánchez then denied Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the other end. Tempers rose after the hour mark when Moisés Caicedo received a yellow card. Roméo Lavia and Ethan Ampadu exchanged angry words. By full time, the referee had shown five yellow cards.
Chelsea used time-wasting tactics in the final stages. This angered the Leeds supporters. The Yorkshire club must wonder if their bad luck at Wembley will ever end.