FA Cup Semi-Final Draw: Chelsea Face Leeds, Man City Take On Southampton at Wembley
The FA Cup semi-final draw, conducted live from the London Stadium on Sunday evening, has produced two mouth-watering ties: Chelsea versus Leeds United, and Manchester City versus Southampton — with both matches to be played at Wembley Stadium on the weekend of 25-26 April.
The Draw
Ally McCoist conducted the draw following the conclusion of the quarter-final between West Ham United and Leeds United, confirming the four teams who will contest the last four of the 2025-26 FA Cup. The fixtures are:
- Chelsea vs Leeds United — Wembley Stadium, 25 or 26 April 2026
- Manchester City vs Southampton — Wembley Stadium, 25 or 26 April 2026
The FA Cup final is scheduled for Saturday, 16 May 2026.
How They Got There
Manchester City, seven-time FA Cup winners, reached the semi-finals with a dominant 4-0 victory over Premier League leaders Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday. City have reached the FA Cup final in each of the last three seasons, winning in 2023 before losing to Manchester United in 2024 and Crystal Palace in 2025.
Chelsea advanced with a stunning 7-0 demolition of League One side Port Vale, while Southampton — the only non-top-flight team remaining in the competition — produced one of the results of the round, stunning Arsenal 2-1 to reach the semi-finals. Leeds United, meanwhile, came from behind to draw 2-2 with West Ham before winning 4-2 on penalties in a dramatic quarter-final at the London Stadium.
The Story Lines
Southampton's presence in the semi-finals is the romantic story of the round. The Championship side, whose only FA Cup triumph came in 1976, have beaten Doncaster Rovers, Leicester City, Fulham, and now Arsenal on their way to Wembley. A victory over Manchester City would be one of the great FA Cup upsets.
The Chelsea-Leeds tie evokes memories of their historic 1970 FA Cup final — a brutal, two-legged affair that Chelsea eventually won on replay. Leeds United have not reached the FA Cup semi-finals since 1987, making this their deepest run in the competition in nearly four decades.
Why It Matters
The FA Cup remains one of football's most cherished competitions, and this year's semi-finals offer a compelling mix of Premier League heavyweights and a Championship giant-killer. For fans across the UK and Ireland, the ties promise two weekends of unmissable football at the national stadium.
What's Next
Exact dates and kick-off times for the semi-finals will be confirmed by the FA in the coming days. Tickets are expected to be in high demand, particularly for the Chelsea-Leeds tie given the historic rivalry between the two clubs.
Full FA Cup coverage is available at BBC Sport and Sky Sports.
