Manchester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to win the FA Cup, thanks to a stunning second-half goal from Antoine Semenyo.
The Ghanaian winger produced the decisive moment in the 72nd minute, improvising an audacious back-heel finish from Erling Haaland’s cross to settle a tense final.
Semenyo’s moment of brilliance secured City’s eighth FA Cup title and their second trophy of the season following their League Cup triumph over Arsenal in March.
The 26-year-old, who joined City from Bournemouth during the January transfer window, etched his name alongside iconic FA Cup final scorers such as Ricky Villa, Michael Owen, Roberto Di Matteo, and Steven Gerrard.
Ironically, Semenyo was born just a short distance from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in west London.
The victory also ended City’s run of back-to-back FA Cup final defeats against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
It marked Pep Guardiola’s third FA Cup triumph as Manchester City manager after previous successes in 2019 and 2023, while also taking his overall trophy haul at the club to 20.
Guardiola’s attention will now shift to the Premier League title race, where City remain outsiders behind leaders Arsenal.
City, currently on a 21-match unbeaten domestic run, could move within two points of Arsenal if they defeat Bournemouth in their penultimate league game, provided the Gunners beat Burnley on Monday.
Arsenal, however, would still control the title race and could secure their first English league crown since 2004 with victory over Crystal Palace on May 24.
Questions over Guardiola’s future continue to linger, with the Spaniard entering the final year of his contract and yet to confirm whether he will remain at the Etihad beyond this season.
For Chelsea, the defeat added to an increasingly disappointing campaign.
The Blues, under interim manager Calum McFarlane, extended their winless run to seven league games and remain stuck in ninth place with little chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Frustration among supporters was evident before kick-off as fans protested against owners BlueCo and chanted “we want our Chelsea back”.
Chelsea defended resolutely for long periods and nearly took advantage on the counter-attack, but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
Erling Haaland came close for City in the first half after pouncing on a defensive mistake, while Chelsea felt aggrieved before half-time when Joao Pedro’s penalty appeal was waved away following a challenge from Abdukodir Khusanov.
Semenyo missed a good chance shortly after the restart when he headed over from close range, while Rodri later cleared Moises Caicedo’s effort off the line after a corner.
But City eventually found the breakthrough when Haaland burst down the right flank and delivered a low cross that Semenyo cleverly flicked into the far corner with a sublime back-heel finish.
The goal proved enough to hand Guardiola’s side another major domestic trophy and cap another memorable afternoon at Wembley.
