Antoine Semenyo produced one of the great FA Cup final goals with an audacious back-flick that sealed Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.
Semenyo illuminated a largely scrappy final late in the second half as he improvised a sublime finish to caress Erling Haaland’s cross into the net.
The Ghana winger’s moment of magic was enough to clinch City’s eighth FA Cup triumph and their second piece of silverware this season after the League Cup final win over Arsenal in March.
Semenyo joins Ricky Villa, Michael Owen, Roberto Di Matteo and Steven Gerrard among the ranks of iconic FA Cup final goalscorers.
Ironically, the 26-year-old — an inspired signing from Bournemouth in the January window — was born just a stone’s throw from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge home in west London.
The third FA Cup success of Guardiola’s reign ended City’s run of two successive defeats in the final against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
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Guardiola, who also lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2019, has now won 20 trophies in his glittering decade as City manager.
His attention will turn back to City’s slender hopes of making it 21 pieces of silverware with a miracle in the Premier League title race.
City, on a 21-game unbeaten domestic run, will be five points behind leaders Arsenal if the Gunners beat relegated Burnley at home on Monday.
Guardiola’s men can close the gap back to two points with a victory at Bournemouth in their penultimate match of the season on Tuesday.
But Arsenal would still guarantee their first English title since 2004 by winning at Palace on May 24.
Ahead of his 24th trip to Wembley with City, Guardiola joked that he was “so disappointed” he has not had a stand named after him at the home of English football.
Whether he will be back with City remain a matter of conjecture.
Uncertainty has swirled around Guardiola’s future all season and, with just one year left on his contract, the 55-year-old is yet to give an indication if he plans to stay or go at the end of this term.
If it is about to be the end of an era, Semenyo ensured Guardiola will leave with at least one more golden memory.
Knockout blow
For Chelsea, the loss was the latest blow in another turbulent campaign.
Without a win in their last seven league games, they are languishing in ninth place with virtually no chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Under interim boss Calum McFarlane, they produced a battling but ultimately impotent display that underlined why frustrated fans protested against owners BlueCo before kick-off and chanted “we want our Chelsea back”.
With Chelsea content to sit deep in their five-man defence, City dominated possession for long periods of the first half, but couldn’t make the breakthrough.
It was a cagey and often flat occasion, in keeping with two teams who have underachieved this season.
Haaland fired wide from an acute angle after stealing possession on the edge of the Chelsea area.
Haaland threatened to prise open Chelsea’s well-drilled rearguard late in the first half, surging onto Marc Guehi’s pass for a stinging strike that Robert Sanchez saved at his near post.
Relying on only occasional counter-attacks, Chelsea felt aggrieved just before the interval when their penalty claim was rejected after Joao Pedro was bundled over by Abdukodir Khusanov.
Semenyo should have broken the deadlock immediately after the break, heading over from six yards after climbing to meet Nico O’Reilly’s cross.
Moises Caicedo’s header was nodded off the line by Rodri after City keeper James Trafford fumbled a corner.
But City finally delivered the knockout blow in the 72nd minute.
Haaland made a clever run down the right-hand side of the Chelsea area and cut the ball back to Semenyo, who deftly back-heeled his supreme finish into the far corner from close range.
AFP
