Enzo Fernandez led as first half winner chelsea Beat leeds united 1–0 at Wembley to book their place in the FA Cup final four days after the sacking of head coach Liam Rosenior.
However, they put their poor recent form and off-field turmoil behind them to perform better under interim head coach Callum MacFarlane and as Leeds fell short of their recent standards, Fernandez’s effort proved decisive.
Chelsea will return to compete at Wembley on 16 May Manchester City In the finals – the first time they lost since 2022 liverpool On penalty.
After five straight runs Premier League Defeat without scoring – their worst defeat since 1912 – Chelsea’s decision to sack Rosenior at the start of the week looks to have been vindicated for the time being.
The clash evoked memories of Chelsea’s victory in a brutal FA Cup Final replay between the two rivals in 1970, while they could hardly have had more contrasting FA Cup pedigrees.
Chelsea have won the trophy seven times and have appeared in 13 finals and 17 semi-finals since Leeds reached the last four in 1987.
ao tanaka An early chance was wasted for Leeds as their free kick went over the crossbar and Chelsea captain Fernandez fired straight at the goalkeeper. lucas perry.
Leeds were on the back foot for the first 15 minutes, but took the lead when they should have Brandon Aaronson but clearly gone Dominic Calvert-LewinBrilliant pass, only to see his low shot saved by the outstretched leg of Robert Sanchez.
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Chelsea were looking unrecognizable after their embarrassing defeat at Brighton in midweek but were soon denied by the woodwork as Joao Pedro’s low effort hit the base of a post, before the Londoners took the lead in the 23rd minute.
leeds defender Pascal Struijk The ball was passed into midfield and when the ball was quickly played wide, Pedro Neto’s inch-perfect cross was headed home by Fernandez for his 13th goal of the season in all competitions.
joao pedro Chelsea, sharp in all areas, continued to push for another effort and they were well worth their halftime lead.
Leads replaced james justin And jaka bijol with joe rodan And Anton Stach on the break and the German midfielder made an immediate impact as his thunderous drive forced Sanchez to keep his feet.
Playing towards their own fans, Leeds improved their play and enjoyed more possession, but suffered another scare when Alejandro Garnacho‘s shot went wide of the crossbar.
Calvert-Lewin headed straight for Sanchez and after Moses Caicedo was booked for his challenge on the post, the Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu And Romeo came down to the touchline as the German received treatment.
Both sides struggled to create clear chances and as Leeds’ frustration grew, Struzk was booked for a foul on Joao. pedro.
Daniel Farke’s side lacked the same cohesion that has taken them within striking distance of top-flight safety in recent weeks and were unable to apply sustained pressure.
Stache headed over with a speculative effort and Calvert-Lewin failed to place a deep cross at the far post with time running out as Leeds’ bid to appear in the FA Cup final for the first time since 1973 fell short.
