Antoine Semenyo, who helped Manchester City win the FA Cup, may go down as one of the best January signings of all time. The Ghanaian’s genius second-half flick was enough to deny Chelsea and secure another victory for Josep Guardiola at Wembley.
Erling Haaland put the ball into the net midway through the first half, but the celebrations looked set to start even earlier for City after his assistant’s flag annoyed him.
Semenyo should have given City the lead soon after the start of the second half but got the nod. The former Bournemouth man eventually scored with a spectacular backheel from Haaland’s cross.
Chelsea appealed for penalties multiple times throughout the match, with Joao Pedro and Llorel Hato also appealing, but neither the referee nor VAR thought they deserved a spot-kick.
Matheus Nunez could have ended the game, but he hit the post, and Semenho’s goal was all it took for City to win the FA Cup again.
But how did each player perform during the 90 minutes at Wembley? I was watching mirror football nearby…
read more: Furious Chelsea fans protest to owners just before FA Cup final at Wembleyread more: Man City 115, expert shares ‘what I heard’ and debunks verdict theory
Join us on Facebook! For the latest news, analysis and more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page
chelsea
Robert Sanchez: Good saves, especially from Haaland, and he didn’t make any rash mistakes that let him down. 7
Wesley Fofana: He played well. Chelsea’s back three were disciplined, fit well and used the ball effectively. 7
Levi Colwill: Thomas Tuchel was also in the crowd – and will have enjoyed Colwill’s level-headed play. Looks fit and ready. 8
Jorel Hato: This was a big test on the left of the back three, he stuck to his job and spotted the danger, but later got tired. 6
Maro Gusto: He saw a lot of the ball on the overlap on the right side. He was a decent outlet, especially in the first half. 6
Reece James: The Chelsea captain battled through and delivered some great set-pieces. But he was sometimes careless about his death. 6
Moises Caicedo: Patrolled the midfield without being able to produce enough results. A solid performance and just as unstoppable as ever. 7
Marc Cucurella: He played the role of left wing-back and worked hard, but he fell apart trying to keep up with Semenyo and was replaced. 6
Enzo Fernandes: Reserved. left his mark on Bernardo Silva with a brutal foul that was probably intended to stamp his authority on the match. 7
Cole Palmer: There were some great moments where he showed good promise and tried to create chances. Encourage him to perform well in front of coach Tuchel. 7
João Pedro: Worked hard and kept the ball, often plowing in lonely grooves. He is undoubtedly one of Chelsea’s best players in recent times. 7
Levi Colwill was Chelsea’s best performer at Wembley (Image: Getty Images)
man city
James Trafford: Rarely made any serious saves before half-time. However, he maintained his concentration and blocked Pedro Neto’s attack in the second half. 7
Matheus Nunez: Made his mark on Marc Cucurella early on. He made a crucial headed interception and kept his cool when needed. 7
Abdukkodir Kusanov: Eliminated danger with lightning speed. He has enjoyed playing on the big stage and has grown into a fine center back this season. 7
Marc Guehi: Barring one blunder, he has brought calm and composure to City’s defense since joining from Crystal Palace. Never make a mistake. 7
Nico O’Reilly: Commands both defense and attack. Despite only turning 21 in March, he looks like a seasoned pro. What a talent! 8
Bernardo Silva: Even a brutal challenge from Enzo Fernandes couldn’t break the Portuguese’s momentum. Perpetual motion again in the last final at City. 8
Rhodri: The glue that holds his sides together. There are few people in world football who can do something more simple than him. But it ran out of steam and had to be replaced. 7
Antoine Semenyo proved to be the winner at Wembley (Image: Getty Images)
Antoine Semenyo: Every time he got the ball he looked really threatening. Ran Marc Cucurella scored the winning goal despite some rough moments. 9
Omar Marmouche: Surprising choice over Rayan Cherki, missed an early chance. He was not effective at all and was sent off at halftime. 5
Jeremy Doku: I was in and out of the game. His performance wasn’t particularly memorable as he struggled to replicate his recent form. 6
Erling Haaland: Barely touched the ball in the first half, but still came close to setting up Marmouche’s goal, which was also denied by Roberto Sanchez. 6
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive daily Mirror Football content. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
