Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City: Antoine Semenho was the hero for Manchester City against Wembley, scoring a stunning flicked goal to ensure Josep Guardiola’s side finish the season with both domestic cup appearances.
Antoine Semenyo celebrates after scoring for Manchester City in the FA Cup final (Image: Ryan Pearce)
Antoine Semenyo produced a magical moment to end the less than stellar FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea with a classic goal under the arches of Wembley.
If ever the FA Cup final needed a moment of genius, it was this one. The Blues and City canceled each other out in a depleted first half with little clear-cut chances, excitement or real buzz.
A few minutes after the match restarted, it was Semenyo who missed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when he rose high to meet a cross but was unable to find the target. It was Chelsea who quietly took control of the game and posed a threat.
But then Semenho scored the biggest goal of his fledgling Manchester City career with a backheel from Erling Haaland’s center over the head of a helpless Robert Sanchez. Here are the mirror football talking points during the match…
read more: Man City 115, expert shares ‘what I heard’ and debunks verdict theoryread more: Josep Guardiola sends message to Man City fans: ‘Don’t wait until I leave’
1) Late start
The FA Cup final remains a special day in the football calendar, even if it has lost some of its former charm over the past few years. But in terms of what the 2025-26 season is about, the first 45 minutes felt like nothing happened.
Chelsea and City exchanged tentative blows, but it would be hard to spot Enzo Fernandes’ reckless lunge on Bernardo Silva, which was perhaps the talking point at half-time. It was pretty monotonous.
2) Semenyo reappears in Blues
Semenyo was City’s winner at Wembley (Image: Shaun Brooks/CameraSport)
Bournemouth fans used to sing that he was magic. And for Semenyo, a season has passed in which a major mid-season move was virtually inevitable due to his excellent results with the Cherries.
January also effectively left him with the pick of the Premier League’s elite players, including City and Chelsea, who later withdrew from the race. The final choice was Siti Semenyo. And it was City who benefited from the Ghanaian star’s moment of genius on the biggest stage.
If ever a big game needed a big moment, this was it. It was the FA Cup final with the lowest number of shots recorded since Opta began recording statistics.
Semenyo has made an impact since joining City in January with big goals, finding his way into the star-studded side with ease. That’s no mean feat. And he underlined his influence with a goal and a memorable moment here.
3) Haaland turns provider
It was an afternoon that made you forget about Manchester City’s attack and Erling Haaland being subdued in the first half.
Haaland is often the one who comes up with good things for City. However, the commanding Norwegian striker turned provider on this occasion, and his driving run and center inside the penalty area set the stage for his strike partner’s sublime flick.
City’s No.9 failed to score again in six games at Wembley. However, he played a pivotal role in key moments of the match.
4) Chelsea’s blue season
Chelsea lost at Wembley (Image: Clive Rose)
It’s been a rotten season for Chelsea, but there’s still a chance they could finish at the bottom of the Premier League. A cup final victory for Callum McFarlane, his second as caretaker manager this season, would have only bridged the rift that has become evident as the weeks have gone on since Enzo Maresca’s managerial job came to an abrupt end midway through the season. But ultimately that wasn’t the case.
There was speculation before the final that not only was Xabi Alonso the favorite to lead Chelsea next season, but that the Spaniard could even be confirmed before the end of the weekend. Given the wealth of talent Chelsea boast, he will quietly fantasize about the chance to oversee a far more successful campaign than this one.
5) Pep’s perfect swan song?
Speculation about Pep Guardiola’s future has been rampant in recent weeks (Image: Catherine Ivill/AMA)
On the eve of Saturday’s final, he playfully played down talk that this would be Manchester City’s swan song. But what an acknowledgment if this is Pep Guardiola’s last Wembley act in English football.
Speculation is growing by the day that Guardiola may choose to step down after 10 years of domestic dominance at the Etihad. And while it seems unlikely that Guardiola and City will win another Premier League title this season, he could ride into the sunset with his third FA Cup.
Will that prove to be the case? he says no. We should find out somehow in the coming weeks.
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