FA Cup Semi-Finals
at Wembley 2025-26
The iconic Wembley arch hosts the FA Cup semi-finals — the last step before the most famous cup final in world football. Arsenal face Nottingham Forest while Chelsea meet Manchester City. 90,000 fans, one neutral venue, the FA Cup Final awaits the winners.
The Wembley Semi-Finals
Arsenal
Emirates / Wembley
Nottingham Forest
City Ground / Wembley
Arsenal's Wembley hoodoo vs Nottingham Forest's famous giant-killing tradition. Arteta's side are favourites but Forest under Nuno have been tactically excellent this season. Can Saka and Martinelli break through Forest's deep defensive block? Or will the Midlands club shock the Gunners?
Chelsea
Stamford Bridge / Wembley
Man City
Etihad / Wembley
Chelsea's young, expensively assembled squad against Pep Guardiola's battle-tested City machine. Cole Palmer returns to face his former club — a story that writes itself. Haaland is the constant threat for City while Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez look to drag Chelsea to the final.
FA Cup Semi-Final Highlights
Referee Akil Howson on being the first Black official in FA Cup final history 👏❤️ #football #facup
Oct 6, 2026
James and Justin fire Leeds into round two ⚪️ | Nottingham Forest 0-2 Leeds | Carabao Cup Highlights
Aug 26, 2026
How This Manager’s Tactics SAVED Nottingham Forest
May 14, 2026
Beautiful Nottingham Forest football 😍
May 7, 2026
Nottingham Forest managing the game 🧠
Apr 20, 2026
FA Cup Semi-Final News
Chelsea's cheating - was a fine too lenient?
Arsenal trial and self-doubt: Valverde's journey to Real legend
VAR error cost Brighton penalty against Arsenal
Hope for Man City, Chelsea & Spurs - great Champions League comebacks
Chelsea fine 'meaningless if others aren't playing by same rules'
How Chelsea signed a star team with hidden payments
'Don't want to antagonise' - Chelsea may move controversial pre-match huddle
James stars as Chelsea beat Man Utd in Women's League Cup final
Chelsea's James could miss weeks with injury as Neto escapes ban
When can Arsenal win the Premier League?
Serial winners Chelsea block out noise to triumph again
David Squires on … Max Dowman, Arsenal’s great release and Chelsea’s Tierney totem
‘We were all so happy’: Arsenal bid to harness feelgood factor against Leverkusen
‘The Premier League is surprisingly lenient’: did Chelsea get off lightly?
Guardiola says Manchester City need ‘perfect game’ to get past Real Madrid
Chelsea’s Reece James an England World Cup doubt with hamstring injury
Arsenal pull away at top and Spurs grab a late point at Liverpool | Football Weekly
Nerves were meant to afflict Arsenal, but Manchester City lack that energy | Barney Ronay
David Squires on … FA Cup magic for Port Vale and a close call for Mikel Arteta
Why do so many people want Arsenal to fail in the Premier League title race? | Jonathan Wilson
FA Cup Analysis
Salisbury FC swapped Wiltshire for Kuwait and somehow blew open the FA Cup
Oct 4, 2026
Whitley Bay's Wembley dynasty was cooler than anything Pep Guardiola built
Oct 2, 2026
Thomas Tuchel is playing with fire after England's Wembley disaster
Sep 29, 2026
Anatomy of a Wembley Classic: Tactical Detail, Fine Margins, and Tuchel's England Audit
Sep 27, 2026
Man City guilty verdict and England's Wembley wobble (Sep 21–Sep 27, 2026)
Sep 27, 2026
Anatomy of a Fracture: The 114 Charges Verdict, Wembley's Tactical Mirrors, and European Football's Structural Crisis
Sep 27, 2026
Thomas Tuchel is making excuses before Spain even arrive at Wembley
Sep 24, 2026
Thomas Tuchel's England face a reality check against Spain at Wembley
Sep 17, 2026
August 13 delivered Shearer's birth, Wembley red cards, and Pep's City debut
Aug 13, 2026
Thomas Tuchel wants Wembley to feel like the Azteca and that is a massive mistake
Jul 9, 2026
Wembley: The Home of Football
Why Wembley for Semi-Finals?
The FA Cup semi-finals have been played at Wembley since 2008. The decision was controversial — purists argued neutral venues should be used — but the bigger attendances and commercial revenue won the argument. Wembley's 90,000 capacity creates a unique atmosphere.
The Cole Palmer Subplot
Cole Palmer left Manchester City for Chelsea in 2023 for £40m — a fee now regarded as one of the great transfer bargains. Facing his former club in the FA Cup semi-final gives the tie an extra narrative edge. Guardiola knows Palmer's game better than anyone.
Arsenal's Wembley Record
The Gunners have a mixed Wembley record in cup semi-finals and finals. Under Arteta, reaching cup finals has proven elusive. A semi-final against Nottingham Forest — a side with rich FA Cup history of their own — is no gimme even for title-chasing Arsenal.
The FA Cup's Magic
The FA Cup has been running since 1871, making it the world's oldest national football competition. Any club from the Premier League down to the ninth tier can enter. The romance of the cup is alive every single season.