Antoine Semenyo scored a spectacular second-half winner to hand Manchester City a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, securing a domestic cup double for Pep Guardiola’s side.
The January signing from AFC Bournemouth produced a stunning piece of improvisation in the 72nd minute, turning an Erling Haaland cross past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with a deft back-heel flick.
The victory marks Man City’s eighth FA Cup triumph and adds to their Carabao Cup success from March. It is the 20th trophy of Guardiola's legendary tenure in English football, which could conclude at the end of this season.
The match started with a tactical surprise as Guardiola benched playmaker Rayan Cherki in favor of Omar Marmoush. However, Marmoush struggled to make an impact, prompting the City manager to bring Cherki on at halftime.
The substitution transformed the game. Cherki's ability to operate between Chelsea’s defensive lines unlocked the opposition, eventually initiating the move that led to Semenyo's breathtaking goal.
City almost doubled their lead late in the game, but a powerful strike from Cherki was denied by Sanchez, and Matheus Nunes hit the woodwork as the match finally sparked into life.
With the FA Cup secured, Man City turn their focus back to a tense Premier League title race. Trailing leaders Arsenal by two points with two games remaining, City captain Bernardo Silva—who is set to leave the club alongside John Stones this summer—refused to rule out a late surge.
"It's really nice to finish this way, and maybe we can still have a small dream that we can still fight for the Premier League," Silva said. Match-winner Semenyo echoed the focus, noting celebrations would be cut short ahead of Tuesday’s league fixture against Bournemouth.
For Chelsea, the defeat marks a record seventh consecutive domestic cup final loss—four of which have come in the FA Cup. Despite decent scoring opportunities for Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro, and Liam Delap, the Blues lacked a clinical edge.
The loss leaves Chelsea's hopes for European football looking extremely slim, compounding a turbulent season that has seen two managerial changes. Interim boss Calum McFarlane is currently overseeing the squad following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior, as Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership continues its search for a permanent manager.
