FA Cup final: How to watch and follow Chelsea v Leicester on the BBC

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FA Cup final

Date: Saturday 15 May. Kick-off: 17:15 BST. Venue: Wembley Stadium. Coverage: Live on BBC One, iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live

It's the great domestic showpiece of the season. The FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester City takes place in front of supporters on Saturday - and it's live on BBC One, the iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live.

A limited number of fans will be allowed inside Wembley, while the Duke of Cambridge will be presented to both teams before the all-Premier League final, which kicks-off at 17:15 BST.

Leicester are looking to win the famous competition for the first time, while Champions League finalists Chelsea are on course for a domestic-European cup double under Thomas Tuchel.

The final will be decided on the day, with 30 minutes of extra time and penalties if required.

This season's final is taking place before the end of the Premier League season. The last time this happened was in 2012-13, when Wigan Athletic beat Manchester City 1-0.

How to follow on the BBC

Gary Lineker, an FA Cup winner with Tottenham in 1991, presents live coverage from Wembley on BBC One from 16:15.

He will be joined by former England captain Alan Shearer and two-time Arsenal FA Cup winner Ian Wright.

Before that, Dan Walker will preview the 140th final on Football Focus on BBC One at 12:00 with former Aston Villa forward Dion Dublin and Alex Scott, a seven-time Women's FA Cup winner.

FA Cup Rewind, featuring classic moments from the competition involving Chelsea and Leicester, is on BBC One at 13:45 and is followed at 14:45 by Match of their Day with seven-time FA Cup winner Ashley Cole, who relives some of the best cup finals he played in with Arsenal and Chelsea.

At 15:25 is The Road to Wembley - a look back at the biggest stories from this season's FA Cup.

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Chelsea are appearing in their 15th FA Cup final and fourth in five seasons, last winning it in 2018

Throughout Saturday on the iPlayer is the FA Cup Final Channel which will include a mixture of classic archive, features and the latest news from the two teams from 09:00 through to the end of BBC One's coverage of the final.

During the final itself, the FA Cup Final Channel will also offer a different audio option featuring BBC Radio 5 Live's commentary.

On 5 Live, Mark Chapman presents build-up from 12:00 while the BBC Sport website will have text commentary, as well as goal clips.

Highlights of the final are on BBC One at 23:20, which is repeated on Sunday at 08:35.

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How many fans?

The 2020 FA Cup final, which saw Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1, was played behind closed doors at Wembley because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, a crowd of around 21,000 will be allowed inside England's national stadium to watch this year's final as part of a pilot event to test the return of big crowds to venues.

Chelsea and Leicester City have each been allocated 6,250 tickets. The rest of the crowd will be made up of Brent residents, key workers, stadium guests and FA stakeholders.

All fans attending are required to take a lateral flow test.

This season's final will honour those who have gone above and beyond their duties in aid of the competition and their local communities amid the backdrop of the pandemic.

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Leicester City are competing in their fifth FA Cup final - and first since 1969 - and have yet to win the competition

Among those who have been invited to attend is Ben Kay, the former head groundsman at non-league Chorley.

With Chorley's third-round tie against Derby County in serious doubt due to freezing temperatures, Kay and his team braved the cold to sleep on the pitch overnight and rotate small heaters that ensured the game went ahead.

Kay has since become groundsman at Accrington Stanley and has been invited to support Wembley Stadium's grounds team around the final.

Fans and staff who were central to Marine and Tottenham's fundraising efforts before their historic third-round tie have also been invited.

"This year's final is an opportunity for us to recognise and thank all the volunteers, players, staff and fans who have demonstrated a spirit that epitomises why the FA Cup is so special," said Andy Ambler, the FA's director of professional game relations.

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Who will win the FA Cup?

This season's FA Cup started on 31 August when Woodford Town beat ninth-tier rivals London Colney 3-1 in the extra preliminary round.

A total of 736 teams entered the competition with National League North Chorley the last non-league club to be knocked out. The Magpies reached the fourth round before losing to Premier League Wolves.

Championship club Bournemouth were the last team outside the Premier League to be eliminated, the Cherries reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Southampton.

This is Leicester's fifth appearance in an FA Cup final and their first since 1969. The Foxes have lost all previous finals, the most appearances a side has made in the competition's showcase without ever winning the trophy.

Brendan Rodgers' side are on course to finish in the top four for the first time since winning the Premier League in 2015-16.

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Chelsea are eight-time FA Cup winners and are enjoying an impressive run of form under Tuchel, who will become the first German manager to lead his side out for an FA Cup final.

The Blues, who are also well placed for a top-four finish, will meet Premier League champions Manchester City in the Champions League final on 29 May after beating Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.

Leicester beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League on 19 January shortly before Frank Lampard was replaced by Tuchel. The two clubs will meet again at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday (20:15 BST) in the league.

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