Semenyo’s magic erased 90 minutes of boredom and brought Man City FA Cup trophy!

Before the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea, the favorite was already clear. Chelsea, a team currently in terrible form and affected by the overall situation at the club, were almost considered underdogs against Pep Guardiola’s side — a team heavily involved in the Premier League title race and growing more confident with each match.

However, the game itself was quite monotonous from both sides — a lot of possession without concrete attacking threats, and it stayed that way until the 72nd minute. And then came Antoine Semenyo’s moment of magic. A beautiful goal, one of the better ones in FA Cup final history, enough to secure the title and spark celebrations in the blue half of Manchester.

The first half at Wembley offered very little in terms of clear-cut chances, although Manchester City controlled possession for most of the opening 45 minutes against Chelsea.

The first shot on target arrived in the 7th minute when Omar Marmoush tried to test Trafford after receiving a pass from Semenyo, but the City goalkeeper dealt with the effort comfortably. Despite City seeing more of the ball during the opening stages, neither side managed to create any serious danger in front of goal during the first 20 minutes.

City came close in the 24th minute after Chelsea lost possession in a dangerous area. Erling Haaland found himself in space on the left side, but his attempt — somewhere between a shot and a cross — drifted harmlessly out of play.

Pep Guardiola’s side thought they had taken the lead three minutes later. Matheus Nunes delivered the ball across goal and Haaland tapped it into the net, but the celebrations were cut short as Semenyo was ruled offside in the build-up.

The best chance of the half came in the 43rd minute. Guehi unexpectedly played a perfect pass into Haaland’s path, sending the Norwegian through on goal. Haaland unleashed a powerful strike from a promising position, but Robert Sanchez reacted brilliantly to keep the score level heading into the break.

In the 47th minute, just a minute and a half after the restart, Manchester City created a good opportunity. Pep Guardiola’s side combined well, and O’Reilly played a ball toward Semenyo, who rose to meet it with a header, but his attempt went over the crossbar.

Chelsea responded in the 55th minute with their most dangerous chance of the match up to that point. From a corner kick, Trafford made a mistake in goal, and Moises Caicedo almost punished it with a header, but Rodri was perfectly positioned on the goal line to clear the ball and keep City level.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 72nd minute — and it was a moment of pure brilliance from Semenyo, giving Manchester City a 1–0 lead. After a well-worked move involving Erling Haaland, who provided the assist, Semenyo finished in spectacular fashion with a backheel, beating Robert Sanchez and scoring what proved to be the decisive goal. A true moment of magic that separated the two teams.

Chelsea tried to respond immediately in the 74th minute. After a cross into the box, Colwill headed the ball backwards into the path of Enzo Fernandez, but he couldn’t adjust properly and sent his effort over the bar.

In the 84th minute, Manchester City came close to sealing the match. First Matheus Nunes struck from close range and hit the post, and moments later Cherki found space from distance and shot powerfully, but Sanchez reacted brilliantly with a strong save to keep Chelsea in the game.

Despite late pressure, City held on to their narrow lead and controlled the closing stages to secure the victory.

FA CUP - FINAL

Saturday

Chelsea - Man. City 0-1 (0-0)

/Semenyo 72/