Photo: Antoine Semenyo celebrating his opening goal at the FA Cup finals
Manchester City were crowned 2026 FA Cup champions after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, with Antoine Semenyo producing a moment of brilliance to settle a tense and fiercely contested final.
In a match dominated by tactical discipline and defensive organisation, both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities for long spells, with chances at a premium in what was largely a cagey affair.
City controlled possession for much of the opening half but found it difficult to break down Chelsea’s compact five-man defence. Erling Haaland came closest before the break, firing wide from a tight angle before testing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with a powerful effort at the near post.
Chelsea, under interim manager Calum McFarlane, looked to hit on the counter and felt they had a strong case for a penalty just before halftime after João Pedro went down under pressure inside the box, but the appeals were waved away.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 72nd minute, and it came spectacularly.
Haaland burst into the right side of Chelsea’s penalty area before cutting the ball back into the danger zone, where Antoine Semenyo improvised brilliantly, producing an audacious back-heel finish that curled beyond Robert Sánchez and into the far corner, sending the City supporters into celebration.
The sublime strike proved decisive as Manchester City held firm against late pressure from Chelsea to secure their eighth FA Cup title and hand manager Pep Guardiola another major trophy.
The victory also completed a domestic cup double for City after their League Cup success earlier in the season and ended their run of two successive FA Cup final defeats.
For Guardiola, it marked his 20th trophy during a glittering decade in charge of City, further cementing his legacy at the Etihad.
For Chelsea, however, the defeat capped another frustrating campaign, with the London club now facing the real possibility of missing out on European football next season.
Semenyo’s moment of magic ensured the trophy returned to Manchester as City once again etched their name into FA Cup history.
AFP
