Manchester City completed a cup double and kept their hopes of a domestic treble alive with a 1-0 win over Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
Having already secured the EFL Cup against Arsenal less than two months ago, the Cityzens took to the field in their fourth straight FA Cup final, looking to end a run of two straight defeats in this showpiece.
In a game severely lacking in chances, it took until the 72nd minute for the breakthrough to come, with Antoine Semenyo delivering an excellent back-heeled finish from Erling Haaland’s cross.
Chelsea pushed hard for an equaliser and nearly found an immediate reply through Enzo Fernandez, but in the end, Pep Guardiola’s men were able to hold out for the 15th major trophy of his reign.
Semenyo delivers moment of quality to settle tight FA Cup final
Even before a ball was kicked, this final always felt like one that would be settled by a moment of brilliance, rather than one where the two sides traded blows like prime heavyweights.
Both teams were packed full of players with the quality to deliver that moment, but it was Antoine Semenyo who came up with the goods.
The former Bournemouth man has been instrumental in getting Man City here since arriving in January, registering two goals and two assists in four FA Cup matches ahead of the final. And under the Wembley arch, he pulled off the most sublime of back-heeled finishes to leave Robert Sanchez grasping at air.
The goal was just the reward Semenyo deserved for a performance in which he consistently looked more likely than anyone to cause trouble. In a cagey match, the Ghanaian had a match-high nine touches in the opposition box and attempted more shots (5) than any other player. Semenyo also attempted three dribbles — completing one — and played three passes into the final third.
That’s 10 goals on the board for Semenyo since signing for Man City, but this was the biggest of the lot, and one that might just be key in securing a domestic treble.
Chelsea’s domestic final woes continue
Everybody associated with Chelsea must be getting sick of the sight of silver medals at Wembley.
Even in lean times, the Blues always seem to find their way to major finals. This was their seventh domestic cup final since 2019, during a period that has also yielded Champions League, Conference League and Club World Cup titles.
However, none of that continental luck has carried over to English competitions, with Chelsea now losing every single one of those seven domestic cup finals in succession.
The last time Chelsea lifted a major trophy at Wembley was way back in 2018, when Eden Hazard scored the only goal of the match to help an Antonio Conte-managed side beat Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
Since then, it’s been four FA Cup final defeats and three failures in the EFL Cup.
Of course, Chelsea fans will still fully demand and expect that their club continues to make these showpieces. But eventually, they need to start winning them again.