Fernandez turns up for caretaker McFarlane as Chelsea see off Leeds to set up City final
NO FEAR: Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez (centre) scores their side's first goal during the Emirates FA Cup semi-final match at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday April 26, 2026.
Caretaker manager Calum McFarlane may just have saved Chelsea’s season after masterminding an FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds at Wembley with a goal scored by Enzo Fernandez – the man who his predecessor Liam Rosenior famously dropped.
Fernandez was left out for two games by his former manager, who objected to comments the midfielder made implying he was open to a move to Real Madrid.
He also lost the captain’s armband to Moises Caicedo in the process in a storyline that summed up the lack of unity at Stamford Bridge this season.
But McFarlane, stepping into an interim role for the second time, handed it back to the midfielder at Wembley and reaped the rewards as Chelsea won 1-0 to set up a final against Manchester City and re-awaken their hopes of playing in Europe next season.
The Argentine’s first half header reminded fans why he cost a world record fee of E130m back in February 2023 whilst the team’s performance underlined just how much they have under-performed in recent matches – especially during five consecutive Premier League defeats without scoring a goal.
Those results meant the end for Rosenior and it may well have stung him to see how his players were able to turn a switch and play with a completely different attitude without him, especially in comparison to the infamous 3-0 defeat at Brighton which cost him his job.
The scrutiny on Chelsea going into this game was intense. Rosenior’s departure after only three months in post means it is two managers sacked already this season (and two jettisoned in 2023-24 (not including Frank Lampard following his disastrous spell as caretaker boss). The team sits eighth in the Premier League table, behind Brighton and Bournemouth) and in danger of missing out on Europe altogether, let alone the Champions League.
Add in that the club made the biggest pre-tax loss in Premier League history in 2024-25, an incredible 303m Euros, and you see why the pressure on owners BlueCo is intensifying, having spent over 1.15bn Euros on players since taking over in 2022.
A season without European football next year is therefore a nightmare scenario; and now there’s an opportunity against City in the FA Cup Final to prevent it.
Not that Leeds, backed by their remarkable fans who created a febrile atmosphere, didn’t give a real go.
Chelsea were fortunate not to go behind after 15 minutes when Leeds winger Brendan Aaronson was right through on goal, but his effort was well saved by the much-maligned Robert Sanchez just when it looked like an early opener.
Sanchez, who endured a miserable night at his former club Brighton where he was jeered and laughed at for 90 minutes last week, was, like Fernandez, a different proposition at Wembley, also making a stunning second half save from an Anton Stach piledriver.
Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Penn, chosen ahead of regular starter Karl Durlow, also saved superbly from Joao Pedro early on when he looked certain to finish from eight metres.
Chelsea’s big breakthrough came after 23 minutes when Pedro Neto’s smart cross was neatly headed home by Fernandez, ghosting in between two defenders to meet it perfectly.
From then on, Leeds fought hard and had occasional spells of pressure in the second half; remembering that earlier this season they had been 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge but came back to level the game.
But Chelsea always looked in control; and the sight of Cole Palmer coming on only strengthened belief they had the quality to complete the job.
This semi-final was a repeat of the 1970 FA Cup final, notorious for its brutality, but despite six yellow cards the only real flare up came when Jayden Bogle's elbow caught Neto in an injury-time tussle.
What Chelsea will remember, however, is that they lifted the trophy at the end of that legendary battle – and now they have another chance to do so again, this time against City in May.
It’s something to celebrate in a difficult season. But Chelsea fans will want to know why the effort, application and discipline shown against Leeds was only wheeled out at Wembley – and not in the five previous matches that got their manager sacked.
Sanchez 8; Gusto 7, Adarabioyo 8, Chalobah 8, Cucurella 7; Caicedo 7, Lavia 6 (Santos 66; 6); Neto 7, Fernandez 8, Garnacho 6 (Palmer 72; 6); Joao Pedro 7(Delap 90+8).
Acheampong, Essugo, Derry, Fofana, Hato, Sharman-Lowe.
Perri 7; Justin 6 (Rodon 46; 6), Bijol 6 (Stach 46; 7), Struijk 7; Bogle 6, Ampadu 6, Tanaka 6 (Nmecha74; 6), Gudmundsson 6; Aaronson 7 (Longstaff 86; 6), Okafor 6 (Gnonto 74; 6|); Calvert-Lewin 6
Bornauw, Darlow, James, Longstaff, Piroe.
Jarred Gillett Attendance: 82542
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