Marc Guehi is on the verge of making FA Cup history, but his journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. The England center-back could join an elite group by winning consecutive FA Cup finals with different clubs—a feat that, for him, includes an embarrassing early exit sandwiched in between. "My football life is just crazy," he admits. "There's no consistency to it. It's just very unpredictable. And it's quite fun."
Guehi's FA Cup story is a tale of two extremes. Last season, he captained Crystal Palace to their first major trophy in 120 years, a stunning upset in the final that will be remembered for generations. But the highs didn't last. This season, the holders were knocked out in January by sixth-tier Macclesfield—a non-league team 117 places below them. It was one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history, and Guehi took it personally. After the final whistle, he walked over to the traveling Palace fans, who were understandably irate. "I just felt like I owed the fans at least for their voices to be heard," he says. "In that moment, it was low for them, but that's just another part of life, I guess."
That defeat would have ended Guehi's FA Cup campaign in any other year. But a rule change this season allowed players eliminated with one club to play in the competition for another. Nine days after the Macclesfield loss, he joined Manchester City. Now, he returns to Wembley on Saturday to face his former club Chelsea, with a chance to lift the trophy again—this time in City blue.
It's a fitting twist for a player whose career has been defined by unpredictability. Just last week, an under-hit back pass against Everton gifted Thierno Barry a goal and reshaped the Premier League title race. "It's inevitable that someone's going to make a mistake at some point," Guehi says, showing the resilience that has defined his journey. From leading Palace to glory, to a humbling exit, to a second chance at Wembley—Guehi's FA Cup campaign is a reminder that in football, and in life, the story is never finished.