Chelsea’s FA Cup final is being watched through a protest lens as much as a football one. Chelsea go into the weekend after five successive Premier League games without scoring, and supporters’ anger has already hardened around ownership, sporting direction and accountability. The club are also seeking their sixth permanent manager in four years, with Liam Rosenior lasting only 107 days after succeeding Enzo Maresca.

Why Wembley feels like a protest stage

Not A Project CFC has made its line clear. "I genuinely believe that relegation is possible for a club like Chelsea," the group’s spokesperson said to standard.co.uk, while also demanding that "the sporting directors have to go, it's as simple as that". The same spokesperson said the group has "entirely lost faith" that the club is willing and able to listen and compromise.

That anger is tied to a season that has drifted badly. Chelsea sit ninth in the Premier League, but the more striking number is the five-game scoring drought in league play. For a fanbase already looking at another change in the dugout, Wembley is being used to press a wider argument about how the club is run.

City and West Ham add two more live storylines

Manchester City are still carrying title pressure into the same weekend. They drew 3-3 at Everton, handing control of the title race back to Arsenal, even if they have won eight of their last nine matches since exiting the Champions League. They are second in the Premier League, so there is no sense of a free hit here.

West Ham’s situation is still live too. They beat Everton 2-1 on 2026-04-25 to keep their survival hopes alive, and they are 18th on 36 points after 36 Premier League matches. That is not a settled picture, it is a weekend that can still move them in either direction.

Chelsea's final may still end with a trophy, but the noise around it already tells its own story. If Chelsea win, the protest will not vanish. If they do not, the questions about the next permanent manager and the shape of the club’s rebuild only get louder.

FAQ

Why are Chelsea fans planning protests at Wembley for the FA Cup final?

Not A Project CFC says the final is being used to press ownership, sporting-direction and accountability grievances. The group says it has lost faith that Chelsea is willing and able to listen or compromise, and it wants the sporting directors gone. The backdrop is a season of collapse, including five successive Premier League defeats without scoring.

Is Chelsea's FA Cup final really being overshadowed by protests?

Yes, that is the picture in the brief. Chelsea have lost five successive Premier League games without scoring, sit ninth, and are seeking their sixth permanent manager in four years. That has made Wembley feel like a protest stage for some supporters rather than a clean cup celebration.

How much pressure are Manchester City and West Ham under this weekend?

Manchester City still have title pressure after drawing 3-3 at Everton, even though they have won eight of their last nine matches. West Ham beat Everton 2-1 on 2026-04-25 to keep their survival hopes alive, and they are 18th on 36 points after 36 Premier League matches.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 11 outlets. How we work →