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Manchester City lifted the FA Cup after edging past Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium, with January signing Antoine Semenyo scoring the decisive goal in another landmark occasion for Pep Guardiola.

The final marked Guardiola’s 24th appearance at Wembley as a manager, and while it may not have been a classic in terms of spectacle, it delivered exactly what matters most to serial winners — silverware.

The match itself was tense, tactical and short on clear-cut opportunities. Much of that was due to Chelsea’s disciplined defensive approach, with the London side prioritising structure and containment over attacking ambition.

Before the break, Manchester City managed only two efforts on target, neither seriously troubling Robert Sanchez. The Premier League champions did find the net once through Erling Haaland, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. At the other end, Chelsea failed to register a meaningful attempt on James Trafford’s goal.

The pattern continued after half-time, with the contest seemingly drifting toward extra time and potentially penalties. But everything changed in the 72nd minute when Manchester City produced the one moment of attacking quality the final had been waiting for.

Haaland timed his run perfectly to receive a vertical pass inside the box before squaring the ball across goal. Waiting near the six-yard area was Antoine Semenyo, who brilliantly flicked the ball home with his heel to send the City supporters into celebration.

It was another major moment for the Ghana international, who only arrived at Manchester City during the winter transfer window but has already scored ten goals for the club. None, however, carried more weight than this Wembley winner.

The goal finally opened the game up. Almost immediately, Enzo Fernandez had a chance to equalise for Chelsea, but the opportunity slipped away. Meanwhile, City looked far more dangerous on the counterattack and came close to extending their advantage.

Robert Sanchez kept Chelsea alive with two outstanding saves — first pushing Matheus Nunes’ powerful strike onto the post before brilliantly denying Rayan Cherki from long range.

In the end, though, one goal was enough. The victory secured the 20th trophy of the Pep Guardiola era at Manchester City, further cementing the Spaniard’s legacy as one of football’s greatest managers.

2025-26, England - FA Cup

Chelsea - Manchester City 0:1 (0:0)
Goals: Semenyo, 72 (0:1)

Chelsea: Sanchez Ro.; Colwill; Hato; James R. (Delap, 83); Gusto; Fofana W.; Cucurella (Pedro Neto, 74); Fernandez E.; Palmer Co.; Caicedo M.; João Pedro (Garnacho, 86)
Substitution: Pedro Neto (from 74); Delap (from 83); Garnacho (from 86)
Bench: Jörgensen F.; Adarabioyo; Chalobah; Acheampong J. K.; Essugo; Andrey Santos
Yellow Cards: Fernandez E. 29; Cucurella 32; Caicedo M. 90

Manchester City: Trafford; Guehi; Khusanov; Rodri (Kovacic M., 65); Bernardo Silva; Matheus Nunes; O'Reilly; Marmoush (Cherki, 46); Håland E.; Doku J.; Semenyo
Substitution: Cherki (from 46); Kovacic M. (from 65)
Bench: Donnarumma G.; Dias R.; Stones; Ake; Reijnders; Foden; Sávio Moreira
Yellow Cards: Khusanov 56