Manchester City have won the FA Cup for the eighth time! Antoine Semenyo’s superb goal decided a hard-fought final of few clear chances. Chelsea played a full part. will feel they should have had at least one penalty for a foul by Abdukodir Khusanov. But it was Semenyo’s ingenious flick that won it.
That’s all for today. Thanks for your company and emails, I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s report. Goodnight!
double quotation mark It was a really close game between two good sides. Both teams had periods when they were in control. it was defined by small margins, so we’re disappointed with the result.
[On the penalty appeal that was turned down in the 77th minute] I’ve watched it back. for me it’s a penalty. We don’t seem to be getting the luck at the moment. [Will you ask for an explanation from the officials?] Not much point now, is there?
I thought we started the second half as the better team. When you have the momentum you have to take advantage, but they got the goal. we were chasing the game after that.
[What do Chelsea need this summer?] It’s not my place to say. I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving an opinion on that. My job is to get ready for Spurs.
At the end of his TNT Sports interview. Pep Guardiola was asked about rumours he was leaving City at the end of the season.
“What rumours?” he replied, shaking his head in mock surprise. Then he said something I couldn’t make out, plopped his microphone down, shook hands and walked off smiling.
double quotation mark Five FA Cup finals in 10 years – we’ve won three, lost two. Quite decent I would say.
We had chances, but [it’s tough] against Colwill, James and Caicedo. They are so good. Enzo Maresca created a pattern that is really good. In the pockets, with Enzo Fernandez and Cole [Palmer], they are always dangerous.
In the second half they were better. But we found a goal. football is sometimes like this – I feel we played better in the last two finals than we were today.
The impact of Marc [Guehi] and Antoine [Semenyo] as winter signings has been incredible. The only regret I have is the amount of players who we had to leave out who deserved to play today. Even after so many years, it’s difficult to swallow. It’s a business, you have to do what you have to do.
I didn’t expect them to play five at the back; I only knew after one minute. That surprised us but we didn’t have the right players in the right positions [against that system]. We played decent, but it surprised us a lot.
[Did it help you that Chelsea had more of the ball in the second half. giving your more space?] I don’t like that. [Screws his nose up] I don’t like it. I like to keep them in their half and stay there all the time!
Listen, we knew this would be tough. Chelsea had seven days to prepare. Our trip yesterday was a mess, it took six hours to arrive. And they are so good.
We’ll celebrate next Monday I think – we’ll have a parade with the women’s team, who won the league.
Jamie Jackson’s player ratings
double quotation mark Antoine Semenyo What a sublime backheeleed winner. Misplaced cross was followed by aimless left-foot attempt and missed second-half header before he seized the glory. 8
double quotation mark [Have you tried that kind of finish in training?] A couple of times when I’ve had to improvise. it happened perfectly today. The ball was behind me. as long as I got contact on it towards the goal, I was hoping it would go in. Everything happened so fast. It’s a good finish, I can’t lie!
[On being an FA Cup final matchwinner] It feels surreal. I’ve never competed for trophies like this before so it’s all new to me. It took a long time to get here but, listen, I’m grateful. Whatever happens when you’re 15 or 16, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the journey.
The first thing [Pep Guardiola] said to me when I came here was, ‘Don’t change your game.’ He knows we control game a lot. he still wants me to be me – create a bit of chaos, get in behind, get shots away, dribble at defenders. That’s what I’m good at. It was the first thing he said. that gave me a bit of peace because I wasn’t sure what I was stepping into. He’s been great.
I don’t think there will be many celebrations tonight. We need to get ready for Tuesday. Hopefully the results will go our way.
City have two Premier League games remaining: Bournemouth away on Tuesday and Aston Villa at home a week tomorrow. If they win both they might win the Premier League, but that all depends on Arsenal.
Match report: Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City
If this really was to have been Pep Guardiola’s 24th. final Wembley appearance as the Manchester City manager, then he went out in trademark fashion – as a winner, as an overseer of magic moments. There was actually only of the latter here. it will stand the test of time, Antoine Semenyo lighting up an FA Cup final that had previously been heavy on perspiration rather than inspiration.
The Wembley clock showed 72 minutes and. at that point, it was a Chelsea team desperate to put their recent woes behind them who were in the ascendancy. Was Calum McFarlane, their red-raw rookie caretaker coach, about to produce the sling-shot to fell Guardiola? Were the unhappy Chelsea supporters set to get something to save their season?
Enter Semenyo. When the ball was worked wide right to Erling Haaland, Semenyo dropped off for the low pass from his teammate. he was closely marked by Levi Colwill. When the ball came, it was also a little bit behind him. No matter. Semenyo let his instincts take over. the result was a scintillating flick with his trailing leg that diverted the ball perfectly into the far corner. The vision was matched by the technique and there was no way back for Chelsea.
All told, it’s been a good day for Manchester City Football Club
Bernardo Silva. John Stones, two City legends who are leaving the club this summer, share the honour of collecting the FA Cup. It’s their 17th major trophy in nine years at City, 20 if you include the Community Shield. And for champions like Bernardo. Stones, not to mention that insatiable beast Guardiola, the experience of lifting a hunk of metal to the heavens will never, ever get old.
Pep Guardiola leads the way as City walk up to collect their medals from Prince William and lift the trophy. He and a wild-eyed Bernardo Silva are deep in conversation, both smiling broadly. Their professional relationship has burned as brightly as almost any in the Premier League era.
Chelsea’s players are dragging themselves up to collect their runners-up medals. They’ve had a poor season, on and off the field, but their performance today was beyond reproach. And for the second time this season, Calum McFarlane proved a worthy opponent to Pep Guardiola.
double quotation mark I’m very happy. Everything about my journey at Man City was fantastic and it’s really nice to finish this way. Hopefully… we still have a small dream that we can fight for the Premier League.
With it being my last season, it’s special to give the fans another trophy – hopefully not the last one. Since I arrived it’s been 20, so that’s not bad. I’m just really happy to have enjoyed all of these moments with my teammates and with the fans.
It was a fantastic goal. The beginning of the second half was really tough for us; they were putting us under constant pressure. Congratulations to Chelsea, who made it very difficult for us.
[On his relationship with Pep] He changed the way I see football. Eighty per cent of my career, more or less, has been with him. All the things I ever hoped to achieve was under him. The relationship has been very strong – with the frustrations, with the achievements –. I hope that one day when I come back to this city we can have dinner and that we will stay friends.
[Will Pep stay?] That’s his decision. It’s not for me to comment on that. I want the best for him and for Manchester City. Pep being the best manager in the world, if he stays that’s obviously better. But it’s his decision!
Manchester City have won both domestic cups for the second time under Pep Guardiola. In 2018-19 they managed a domestic treble; that looks unlikely this year, but it’s not beyond the realms.
Manchester City are now level with Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs on eight FA Cups. Only Arsenal (14) and Manchester United (13) have won more.
Manchester City have won the FA Cup for the eighth time! Antoine Semenyo’s superb goal decided a hard-fought final of few clear chances. Chelsea played a full part. will feel they should have had at least one penalty for a foul by Abdukodir Khusanov. But it was Semenyo’s ingenious flick that won it.
90+2 min Caicedo fouls Semenyo, then sarcastically applauds the assistant referee and is booked.
90+1 min An inswinging cross is headed wide from 12 yards by Delap. A tough chance – his movement was good but he couldn’t guide the header on target.
90 min Five minutes of added time.
90 min On 11 November 2018, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City beat Man Utd 3-1 through goals from David Silva, Sergio Aguero. Ilkay Gundogan. A day earlier. 18-year-old Antoine Semenyo made his FA Cup debut for Newport County in a 2-0 win away to Met Police.
Eight years on. Semenyo is a few minutes of injury time away from scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup final.
88 min Excellent game management from City, who are keeping the ball and frustrating Chelsea.
86 min: Chelsea substitution Alejandro Garnacho replaces the weary Joao Pedro.
85 min Cherki addresses a bouncing ball of the edge of the area with a ferocious shot. is beaten away by Sanchez. It was straight enough but that’s still a fine save.
Doku plays a superb pass to release O’Reilly on the left. His low ball across the area towards Haaland is crucically cut out by Caicedo.
Seconds later, Nunes screws a low cross on the run that deflects onto the near post!
83 min “That was a wonderful goal, I actually burst out laughing,” writes Kári Tulinius. “This was like something the Harlem Globetrotters would pull, if they played football.”
Please don’t make Florentino Perez angry again.
82 min: Chelsea substitution Former Manchester City forward Liam Delap comes on for Reece James.
80 min And now it’s over to our resident Quasimodo. “My pre-season prediction of a team in blue or red winning top honours in England. Europe looks like coming true again, Rob,” writes Simon McMahon. “I amend it slightly to include green and white in Scotland. Hoping it holds for the World Cup this year too. Scotland v Spain final. Norway for Eurovision. Democrats or Republicans. Labour or Tories Reform. It’s foolproof, I tell you. Bet the farm on it.”
79 min Darren Cann. assistant referee in the 2010 World Cup final, again thinks it was the correct decision to not award the penalty. I’ll bow to his superior knowledge, but Khusanov took a big risk by leaning quite strongly into Hato.
77 min A big chance for City to clinch it. Doku frees the underlapping O’Reilly on the left side of the area –. he cuts the ball back to nobody instead of trying to score another Wembley goal.
Chelsea break and there’s another penalty appeal for a challenge by Khusanov, this time on Hato (I think). It looked clumsy – he was the wrong side – but it’s been cleared by both the referee and VAR.
76 min “Semenyo did a Zola?” says Giovanni Cafagna.
A Nigel Clough, please.
75 min: Chelsea substiution Pedro Neto replaces Marc Cucurella, which presumably means a switch to 4-2-3-1.
Chelsea almost reply straight away. A long throw from the left is headed on by Colwill. volleyed onto the roof of the net by Enzo. He was only six yards out. had to flick the volley towards goal while wrestling with Guehi, so it wasn’t an easy chance.
Erling Haaland opened the game up with a sharp turn away from Fofana 30 yards from goal. He gave the ball to Bernardo, who played it back to Haaland on the right side of the area. Haaland drove a first-time cross towards the near post, where Semenyo dragged the ball behind his standing leg. into the far corner. That’s an outstanding finish!
Antoine Semenyo puts City ahead with a fabulous goal!
70 min The corner is headed away.
69 min Semenyo runs at Cucurella, who concedes a corner with a well-timed challenge. Semenyo has been a greater than threat than Doku so far.
67 min On that occasion, Khusanov barely touched Joao Pedro. I’m still not sure about the one before half-time though.
66 min Gusto clips an early cross into the box. where Joao Pedro goes down off the ball after some sort of touch from Khusanov. The referee isn’t interested, nor Stockley Park’s finest.
65 min: City substitution Mateo Kovacic replaces Rodri, who isn’t fit enough to go the distance. Phil Foden seemed to be getting ready too but he hasn’t come on yet.
63 min “Cynical Urges (50 min),” says Joe Pearson, “is my next band name.”
Who knew a band with a name like that would drop the first great yacht rock album?
61 min This is Chelsea’s best spell of the match,. Pep Guardiola is about to respond with a double substitution.
59 min James takes a corner on the right, gets the ball back from a near-post clearance. flips a delicious cross that is just too high for Fofana at the far post.
58 min Chelsea have two penalty appeals turned down in the space of 10 seconds. The first was for a challenge by Doku on Caicedo, the second when Enzo’s cross hits the elbow of O’Reilly. His arm was folded into his body so there’s nothing for VAR to see here.
56 min Khusanov is booked for barging Cucurella over. There were, before you mention it, some differences between that and the penalty appeal before half-time. No time for that because it’s all happening…
James’ corner is headed up in the air. with Trafford in no man’s land as he tries to make up for that error. Caicedo heads it back towards the open goal and Rodri nods it away just in front of the goalline. Trafford probably would have made the save as he ran back desperately, but I wouldn’t put the farm on it.
54 min Trafford lets a backpass run under his foot and behind for a Chelsea corner. Could have been worse, a whole lot worse, because he wasn’t far from the goalline.
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