The FA Cup final curses Chelsea and Manchester City hope to end when they meet at Wembley

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Whichever way you spin things, it will be a blue day at Wembley as Manchester City and Chelsea meet in the Emirates FA Cup final.

Explained: The Wembley streaks City and Chelsea can snap in FA Cup final

Video credit: TNT Sports

The two Premier League sides meet at Wembley on May 16, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

It is a chance for both teams to get their hands on silverware and end the season on a high.

It is also an opportunity to banish some recent FA Cup final demons.

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Man City and Chelsea's losing runs in FA Cup finals

Manchester City have lost in the FA Cup final for the past two seasons, suffering defeat to Crystal Palace a year ago and Manchester United in 2024.

Only one team has ever lost three successive FA Cup finals - guess who?

Chelsea entered the record books for the wrong reasons when they were beaten by Liverpool on penalties in the 2022 FA Cup final.

That was the third year in a row The Blues had been beaten in the final after defeats to Leicester and Arsenal the previous two seasons.

Chelsea have also lost their last SIX successive domestic cup finals.

As well as their FA Cup final defeats, they have been beaten in their last three appearances in the Carabao Cup final (2024, 2022, 2019).

And there’s more.

When did Chelsea last beat Man City?

Chelsea have not won a game against Manchester City in any competition in five years.

The last time Chelsea came out on top against Pep Guardiola’s side was in the Champions League final in May 2021.

Chelsea have lost 10 of the 13 meetings between the sides since, being outscored 25-7 and not keeping a single clean sheet. That run includes two defeats in the FA Cup in 2023 and 2024.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for Chelsea.

Chelsea's cup success under interim head coaches

Chelsea have enjoyed previous success in cup competitions under interim head coaches.

Calum McFarlane will lead the Blues at Wembley after taking charge when Liam Rosenior was sacked in April.

While McFarlane has not been able to arrest Chelsea’s poor Premier League form, he did oversee the FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds.

And he could become the fourth interim to win a trophy at Chelsea in recent memory.

Guus Hiddink was in interim charge in 2009 when Chelsea lifted the FA Cup with victory over Everton in the final.

Roberto Di Matteo took Chelsea on a memorable run in 2012, winning the FA Cup and Champions League after taking interim charge following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas.

When Di Matteo was sacked early in the 2012/13 season, Rafael Benitez was named interim manager and ended the campaign by winning the UEFA Europa League.

Guardiola's record in finals

Man City have had far less upheaval in the dugout than Chelsea with Guardiola in post since 2016.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has an impressive record in finals during his career.

Before losing in the past two FA Cup finals, Guardiola's City won their previous two FA Cup finals in 2019 and 2023.

Guardiola has only lost two other major cup finals during his managerial career.

They were to Real Madrid in the 2011 Copa del Rey final with Barcelona, and the 2021 Champions League final to Chelsea.

Who has won the FA Cup the most times?

If Manchester City win the FA Cup on Saturday it will be the eighth time they have lifted the trophy, moving them level with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the all-time list.

Only two teams have won more than eight: Arsenal and Manchester United.

Arsenal, who were shocked in the quarter-finals by Southampton, have won the FA Cup a record 14 times. United are one behind on 13, having last lifted the trophy in 2024.