Chelsea will face fierce rivals Leeds United while Manchester City take on second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley Stadium later this month.
An enthralling set of quarterfinals paved the way for this intriguing final four. Chelsea predictably demolished League One relegation battlers Port Vale at Stamford Bridge on Saturday yet few saw Arsenal’s upset at Southampton coming.
The Premier League leaders were deservedly beaten by the Championship outfit on the south coast, compounding a convincing Carabao Cup final defeat before the international break. Manchester City were the authors of that Wembley triumph and hope to extend their success at England’s national stadium after delivering a nut-and-bolt dismantling of Liverpool in the quarterfinals.
Pep Guardiola’s side scored four goals in less than 20 minutes on either side of halftime at the Etihad Stadium, leaving Liverpool questioning their mental strength and fighting spirit.
West Ham and Leeds both showed the best kind of attitude in arguably the most remarkable quarterfinal of the lot. The West Yorkshire outfit were 2–0 up at the London Stadium heading into stoppage time only to concede twice in four minutes as the hosts spectacularly forced extra time. West Ham had a potential winner chalked off for offside before goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was forced off injured on the cusp of the penalty shootout.
The Frenchman’s 20-year-old deputy Finlay Herrick came on to make his debut and saved the first spot kick from Leeds’ Joel Piroe. However, there would be a few more loops on the rollercoaster as the visitors rallied back to win the shootout 4–2.
If the semifinals prove to be anywhere as exciting as the previous round of fixtures, it threatens to be a dramatic conclusion to England’s oldest cup competition.
2025–26 FA Cup Semifinal Draw in Full
- Chelsea vs. Leeds United
- Manchester City vs. Southampton
Ball Numbers for FA Cup Semifinal Draw
1. Southampton
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Leeds United
2025–26 FA Cup Round Dates
Manchester City assistant manager Pep Lijnders described the coming weeks as “the part of the season where the business has to be done.” City’s FA Cup focus will be divided by their Premier League title race with Arsenal, which comes into sharp focus just around the time of the semifinals.
One week before City head to Wembley, they host Arsenal at the Etihad for an almighty league clash on April 19. The Cityzens were due to play relegation-battling Burnley on Sunday, April 26, but that fixture will have to be rescheduled to accommodate their cup exploits.
Chelsea aren’t going for ultimate glory in the Premier League but very much need all the points they can get in the race for Champions League qualification. The Blues host Manchester United on the weekend before their semifinal.
| Round | Weekend of (Saturday) |
|---|---|
| First Round Proper | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Second Round Proper | Dec. 6, 2025 |
| Third Round Proper | Jan. 10, 2026 |
| Fourth Round Proper | Feb. 14, 2026 |
| Fifth Round Proper | March 7, 2026 |
| Quarterfinals | April 4, 2026 |
| Semifinals | April 25, 2026 |
| Final | May 16, 2026 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025–26 FA Cup Semifinal Draw: Chelsea, Man City Learn Wembley Opponents.
