5 memorable FA Cup final goals by Chelsea ahead of Man City encounter
Ahead of the Saturday, May 16, 2026, encounter against Manchester City, Chelsea have scored 17 goals across their 16 appearances in the FA Cup final.
The Blues were unable to find the net on their first appearance in the FA Cup final, way back in 1915, at the end of their 10th season in existence as a football club, but have averaged above a goal a game in the 15 finals they have played since.
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That has contributed to Chelsea lifting the trophy on no less than eight occasions, possibly soon to be nine when they take on Pep Guardiola’s men in this season’s final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Bobby Tambling: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Chelsea (1967)
The honour of scoring the first-ever Chelsea FA Cup final goal went to Tambling, who had become the club’s all-time top scorer with another goal against Tottenham earlier that season, a record he would hold for almost half a century, before being surpassed by Frank Lampard in 2013.
Unfortunately, this goal was merely a consolation, beating goalkeeper Pat Jennings to Johnny Boyle’s cross to head in with 85 minutes on the clock, as by that time the Blues were two goals down and there would be no late equaliser.
Peter Houseman: Chelsea 2-2 Leeds United (1970)
Chelsea were back at Wembley again, looking to lift the FA Cup trophy for the first time in their history three years later, taking on a Leeds side where there was famously no love lost between the two groups of players on the pitch, who had become fierce rivals, but also shared a huge amount of respect for each other.
That rivalry would only grow stronger over the course of this gruelling final, as Chelsea twice came from behind. The first of their equalisers arrived shortly before half-time, when Houseman’s shot from outside the box bobbled along the terrible pitch and evaded the grasp of goalkeeper Gary Sprake.
Didier Drogba: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United (2007)
It appeared Chelsea were set for our first-ever FA Cup final penalty shootout with five minutes left of extra time when the FA Cup final returned to the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium for the first time in 2007.
Drogba had other ideas, though. It was a goal worthy of settling the contest, as the striker played a first-time pass around the corner and raced forward as Lampard lifted a delicate one-two over the United defence.
Drogba got there ahead of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to toe the ball into the net for a dramatic winner late in extra time.
Didier Drogba: Chelsea 2-1 Everton (2009)
The Blues had fallen behind inside the first minute when Louis Saha broke Di Matteo’s record for the fastest cup final goal at Wembley, but Chelsea would not stay behind for long.
Few players seemed to thrive on the big stage of a cup final and the national stadium as well as Drogba and he was at it again in 2009. When Florent Malouda delivered his cross into the box there was only going to be one winner, the striker brushing aside Joleon Lescott to power a header into the bottom corner.
Eden Hazard: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United (2018)
Chelsea’s last FA Cup triumph was sealed from the penalty spot at Wembley, as a tight game of few chances was settled by one demonstration of Hazard’s supreme talent and composure. It was far from the only game for which that could be said.
Hazard brought down Cesc Fabregas’ searching pass impeccably, darting between two defenders and racing towards goal, cleverly keeping his body between the ball and Phil Jones as he readied to shoot. That meant there was only one possible outcome when the Man Utd defender went to ground with a sliding challenge, a penalty to Chelsea.
Hazard casually approached the spot and waited for goalkeeper David de Gea to make the first move, before rolling his penalty into the empty half of the net.
