The complication is scale. Police say roughly 4,000 officers will be on duty, with around 660 drafted in from outside London, for an operation expected to cost £4.5m.
That reflects an unusual overlap:
Harman also said: “There are no professional men's games in England on that day other than the FA Cup final, which increases the likelihood of those groups travelling to London.” In plain terms, there will be little room for error.
The operation is set to be highly visible and highly modern. Police say they will use:
The biggest talking point may be the planned use of live facial recognition in a public-order setting for the first time by Scotland Yard, albeit away from the protest routes. That underlines how seriously the day is being viewed.
Cup finals are supposed to bring noise, colour and nerves around the stadium. But this one appears set to test London’s wider event management as much as its matchday policing. Strict protest conditions, potential dispersal orders and powers over face coverings show the authorities are preparing for flashpoints well beyond the turnstiles.
By kickoff, the hope will be simple: that Chelsea and Manchester City supporters get the stage they deserve, and that the story afterwards is the football at Wembley rather than the pressure in the streets around it.