Fernandez sends Blues into FA Cup final; Pep hails history-making City

Enzo Fernandez fired Chelsea into the FA Cup final against Manchester City as the Argentine sealed a 1-0 win against Leeds in the Blues’ first match after Liam Rosenior’s sacking.

Fernandez’s first-half header in Sunday’s semi-final at Wembley was an ironic twist after another farcical chapter in Chelsea’s turbulent recent history.

The 25-year-old midfielder emerged as a divisive figure towards the end of Rosenior’s brief reign after he was dropped for two games for hinting in an interview that he was considering leaving at the end of the season.

Rosenior’s handling of the incident undermined his already-fragile relationship with his squad as Chelsea’s form spiralled out of control.

He was sacked on Wednesday after a woeful run of five successive defeats without scoring -- the club’s worst streak since 1912 -- climaxed with Tuesday’s 3-0 hammering at Brighton.

Players of Chelsea and Leeds United vie for the ball during their FA CUP match. Reuters

Rosenior, who lasted only 106 days after arriving from Strasbourg, had sealed his fate by criticising the players’ desire and spirit against Brighton.

That outburst was the final straw for Chelsea’s owners, exposing a rift between Rosenior and his stars that included leaked team selections and several players, including Fernandez, publicly expressing frustration with his predecessor Enzo Maresca’s departure.

Chelsea’s woeful run has ruined their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League, leaving them 10 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa with just four games left.

But, now led by interim manager Calum McFarlane, the Blues can partially salvage a miserable campaign by winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2018.

They will face City in the final on May 16 after Pep Guardiola’s team came from behind to beat second tier Southampton 2-1 on Saturday.

Eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea are into the final for the 17th time in their history and the first since losing to Liverpool in the 2022 showpiece.

If Chelsea can beat City at Wembley, the inexperienced McFarlane would become one of the most unlikely FA Cup-winning managers after stepping up from his role with the club’s Under-21 squad to assist Rosenior.

McFarlane has inherited a mess but he deserves credit for coaxing a more cohesive display from Chelsea so soon after Rosenior’s sacking.

It was a missed opportunity for Leeds, who were playing in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987 and haven’t made the final for 53 years.

Brenden Aaronson wasted a golden opportunity to put Leeds ahead in the 15th minute, racing clean through on goal after Trevoh Chalobah’s slip but failing to produce the accuracy to beat Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea responded to that scare by missing a good chance of their own, Joao Pedro drilling a low strike against the near post from close-range.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola hailed Manchester City’s feat of becoming the first side to ever reach four consecutive FA Cup finals after a late fightback denied Southampton a shock victory at Wembley.

Saints were heading towards their first final in 23 years when Finn Azaz’s brilliant finish put the Championship side in front 11 minutes from time.

City, though, hit back immediately through Jeremy Doku before Nico Gonzalez’s sensational strike edged the semi-final 2-1.

Guardiola’s men have lost their last two FA Cup finals to Crystal Palace and Manchester United. They beat the Red Devils in 2023.

City, who will face Chelsea or Leeds in the final, are now well in contention for a domestic treble.

Guardiola’s men lifted the League Cup last month and are locked in a tight battle for the Premier League title with Arsenal.

“No team has made four finals in a row. It’s extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum,” said Guardiola.

The City manager’s decision to make eight changes from the side that beat Burnley 1-0 on Wednesday looked misguided as Southampton enjoyed the better of the first half.

But Guardiola’s side improved markedly after the break and were aided by the introduction of Doku, Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva off the bench.

“It was difficult but the wingers (Doku and Savinho) when they came in changed the pace,” added Guardiola.

“The first time they crossed the halfway line they made a fantastic goal. Football is always unpredictable but the way we played in the second half was extraordinary.”

Agencies