By Henry Vinter | 20 May 2056
The perfect season is officially over. The “Sextuple” is dead.
In a Wembley classic that swung from euphoria to despair and back again, Chelsea’s relentless pursuit of every trophy available finally hit an immovable object: Ariel Báez and the cruelty of a penalty shootout.
After a pulsating 2-2 draw after extra time, Manchester City triumphed 5-4 on penalties, with veteran left-back Luther Banton seeing his decisive spot-kick saved to hand the cup to the Sky Blues.
The 60-Second Start
It began as a coronation. Before some fans had even taken their seats, Chelsea were ahead.
In the 1st minute, winger Jairzinho latched onto a loose ball and fired a “well struck effort” past Báez via the post. It was the dream start, signaling that Chelsea intended to dismantle City just as they had everyone else.
But City, fighting for their only piece of silverware, refused to crumble. In the 24th minute, defender Francesco Piersantirose highest to bury a “fine header from point-blank range,” leveling the scores at 1-1.
For the next 80 minutes, it was a war of attrition. Chelsea dominated the chances (2.42 xG to City’s 0.86), but they found City goalkeeper Ariel Báez in inspired form. The custodian made 5 crucial saves, earning the Player of the Match award with an 8.3 rating.
Extra Time Madness
As legs tired, the drama escalated.
In the 103rd minute, substitute Andy Wilton silenced the Chelsea end, slotting a placed shot into the bottom corner to put City 2-1 up. The “Quintuple” looked to be slipping away right there.
But this Chelsea team does not know when it is beaten. Calin Dimario threw on Netanel Sahar, the man who has made a career of scoring goals when it matters most.
With just two minutes left on the clock (118th minute), Sahar produced a moment of magic, smashing a “powerful volley” into the net to make it 2-2 and force penalties. The roar from the Chelsea end was deafening; they had been saved from the dead.
The Shootout Agony
The lottery of penalties is no respecter of reputations.
Nacho Valera, the world’s best striker, missed Chelsea’s second kick. José Francisco Landeira missed the fourth. Yet, City missed two of their own (Ripari and Oliveira), keeping Chelsea alive.
It went to sudden death. Kenny Harding smashed his penalty home for City. The pressure fell on Luther Banton. The 30-year-old, who had just returned from injury to play in this final, stepped up—and missed.
“Gutted”
It was a cruel end for a loyal servant. Banton told the press he was “gutted” but insisted he would “take another one should he be asked to do so”.
The fans, to their credit, have rallied around him, but the reality remains: the FA Cup is gone.
One Last Dance
Chelsea have won the Premier League, Carabao Cup, Super Cup, and Community Shield. The FA Cup has slipped through their fingers.
There is one game left. Saturday, 27th May. Istanbul.
They face Hertha Berlin in the Champions League Final. The difference between a “disappointing end” and a “legendary Quintuple” now rests on 90 minutes in Turkey. Dimario must pick his players up off the floor, because history is still waiting to be written.