Manchester City claimed the FA Cup after Antoine Semenyo’s superb late strike secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea in a lacklustre final at Wembley.
In a match short on quality and attacking flair, the breakthrough finally arrived with 18 minutes remaining when Semenyo met an Erling Haaland delivery with a clever flicked finish that gave Robert Sanchez no chance.
The goal transformed an otherwise forgettable contest and handed Pep Guardiola’s side another domestic trophy to add to their Carabao Cup success earlier in the season. City were far from their usual free-flowing best, instead relying on resilience and discipline to grind out victory and end a run of recent FA Cup final disappointments against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered the agony of a fourth straight FA Cup final defeat and finished the campaign empty-handed. Semenyo continued to justify his £65 million move from Bournemouth, delivering the decisive moment that kept City’s hopes of another domestic treble alive.
