FA CUP: Semenyo stunner fires Man City past Chelsea to reclaim FA Cup crown

Antoine Semenyo produced a moment of brilliance as Manchester City edged Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley to lift the FA Cup and end their recent final heartbreak, Sport360NG reports. 

The decisive moment arrived when Erling Haaland delivered a low cross into the penalty area and Semenyo, under pressure from Levi Colwill, cleverly guided the ball into the far corner with a deft backheel finish. The strike, his 10th since arriving from Bournemouth in January, proved enough to settle the contest.

City had struggled to penetrate Chelsea’s disciplined defensive setup for much of the game, but Semenyo’s touch of quality eventually separated the sides. The triumph also ended Guardiola’s side’s run of consecutive FA Cup final defeats and secured a domestic cup double following their Carabao Cup success earlier in the campaign.

Chelsea came close to finding a breakthrough of their own before City took the lead. Moises Caicedo saw a dangerous header cleared off the line by Rodri, while Enzo Fernandez narrowly missed the target with an effort that landed on the roof of the net.

Despite their attempts to frustrate City, Chelsea once again failed to score at Wembley, extending their barren run in finals at the stadium to five matches.

The defeat also carried significant consequences for Chelsea’s European ambitions. Missing out on the FA Cup denied them a potential Europa League qualification route, leaving their hopes of continental football hanging on a late push for a Conference League place through the Premier League.

City nearly added to their advantage late on as Matheus Nunes forced Robert Sanchez into a fine save that pushed the ball onto the post, while Rayan Cherki was also denied by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

Although they still require an Arsenal stumble to revive their Premier League title hopes, Pep Guardiola has now added a 20th major trophy to his Manchester City collection.