The Emirates FA Cup semi-finals for 2025-26 take place across the weekend of 25-26 April 2026, with both ties taking place at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
First to take place is the tie between Manchester City and Southampton on Saturday (5.15pm BST), before Chelsea and Leeds United take to centre stage just less than 24 hours later on Sunday (3pm BST).
Ahead of both games, we've compiled some of the key stats and facts for what should be two mouth-watering ties.
Manchester City v Southampton
● Manchester City have faced Southampton in four previous FA Cup ties, winning 5-0 in 1909-10, 3-1 in 2006-07 and 4-1 in 2021-22. They lost 5-1 in the other in the third round in 1959-60.
● Southampton have lost 13 of their last 18 matches against Man City in all competitions (W2 D3). Their most recent meeting was a goalless draw in May 2025 in the Premier League.
● Manchester City have reached their eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final, a run stretching back to 2018-19. They have won their last three to reach the Final – no side has ever reached the FA Cup Final in four seasons in a row.
● Southampton are looking to become the first non-Premier League side to reach the FA Cup Final since Cardiff City in 2007-08, who beat fellow Championship side Barnsley in the semi-final. On the last 15 occasions a top-flight team has faced a side from outside the highest tier in the semi-final, the higher-ranked side has qualified; Sunderland against Norwich in 1991-92 were the last to progress.
● Manchester City have won their last 21 FA Cup matches against sides from outside the Premier League, scoring 84 goals and only conceding eleven. It is the outright longest winning run ever in FA Cup history by top-flight sides against lower league teams.
● Southampton have reached four FA Cup Finals (1900, 1902, 1976, 2003) but have been knocked out in nine of their 13 FA Cup semi-finals, most recently losing to Leicester in 2020-21. Eight of the nine teams to knock the Saints out at that stage then went on to lift the trophy, the exception being Arsenal in 1926-27.
● Since the 2016-17 season in the FA Cup, Manchester City have won the most matches (44), scored the most goals (157) and kept the most clean sheets (28) of any side. However, six of their seven defeats in the competition under Pep Guardiola have come at Wembley – the other was at the DW Stadium versus Wigan in February 2018.
● Southampton have lost eight of their eleven matches at Wembley (W3), including both of their FA Cup semi-finals played there in 2017-18 against Chelsea and 2020-21 against Leicester. Their three wins at the national stadium were in the 1976 FA Cup final against Man Utd, the 2010 EFL Trophy final against Carlisle and the 2024 Championship play-off final against Leeds.
● Erling Haaland has scored 12 goals in 12 FA Cup appearances for Man City, with eleven of those 12 goals coming as part of hat-tricks (three against Burnley in 2023, five versus Luton in 2024 and three against Liverpool in 2026). However, Haaland has never scored or assisted in a single semi-final or final in any competition for City – he’s played 14 games, 1,140 minutes, had 25 shots and 62 touches in the opposition box.
● Southampton’s Ross Stewart has scored three goals in five FA Cup appearances (one in two for Sunderland, two in three for the Saints), scoring those from just four shots on target. He also scored on his last Wembley appearance back in May 2022, for Sunderland in their victorious League One play-off final against Wycombe.
Chelsea v Leeds United
● Chelsea have faced Leeds in six previous FA Cup ties and have progressed from all six, most recently in the 2023-24 fifth round. They’ve only faced Hull more often while winning each tie (nine in nine – an FA Cup record), while Leeds have only been eliminated more often by Arsenal (eight).
● Leeds United are unbeaten in both Premier League matches against Chelsea this season (W1 D1). It’s the seventh time the two sides have met three (or more) times in a season in all competitions, but the Whites have never previously avoided defeat in all three meetings in a season.
● Chelsea have progressed from nine of their last eleven FA Cup semi-finals, with their two defeats in this time coming against Man City in 2012-13 and 2023-24. In the time since Leeds last played in a semi-final in 1986-87, the Blues have played in 17 semi-finals and 13 Finals, last reaching the Final in 2022.
● Leeds are into their first FA Cup semi-final since 1986-87, when they lost 3-2 to Coventry under Billy Bremner, while the last time they reached the Final was in 1972-73, when they beat Wolves 1-0 in the semi-final thanks to a goal by Bremner. It’s the biggest gap between a side reaching the semi-final since Leicester also went 39 seasons between 1981-82 and 2020-21, winning the trophy in the latter.
● Chelsea are the leading scorers in the FA Cup this season, scoring 20 goals. Only in 1969-70 (25) and 2006-07 (21) have the Blues ever netted more in one season. They’ve scored at least four goals in all four games and could be the first side in FA Cup history to score four or more in five games in a row.
● Leeds United have lost their last three games at Wembley without scoring – 0-3 vs Aston Villa in the 1996 League Cup final, 0-1 vs Doncaster in the 2008 League One play-off final and 0-1 vs Southampton in the 2024 Championship play-off final. The last Leeds player to score there was Eric Cantona, completing his hat-trick in a 4-3 win over Liverpool in the 1992 Charity Shield.
● With 20 goals scored by Chelsea under Liam Rosenior in his four FA Cup games in charge so far, it’s the fewest games needed to hit 20 goals under a manager for a club in England’s top four tiers since Bournemouth under John Bond in 1970-71 (also 20 in four games). Rosenior is looking to become the
first English manager to reach an FA Cup Final since Frank Lampard with Chelsea in 2019-20.
● Leeds are the first newly-promoted Premier League side to reach an FA Cup semi-final since Wolves in 2018-19, who lost 3-2 to Watford. The two promoted clubs to reach the final since 1992-93 are West Ham in 2005-06 and Hull City in 2013-14.
● Leeds United’s nine FA Cup goals this season have been spread across eight different scorers, with Ao Tanaka the only player on the scoresheet twice. 1964-65 is the only previous campaign with more Leeds scorers in the FA Cup (nine), a season they reached the Final as a newly-promoted club.
