Antoine Semenyo’s moment of pure instinct handed Manchester City a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Football Association (FA) Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 16, securing the club’s eighth FA Cup title.
The 26-year-old Ghanaian winger, who joined City from Bournemouth in January, broke a tense deadlock in the 72nd minute. Collecting a low cross from Erling Haaland, Semenyo improvised brilliantly, flicking the ball with his back heel past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and into the far corner.
The finish was as personal as it was clinical. Semenyo grew up in London just a short distance from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, making his match winning contribution against that very club one of the more striking storylines of this season’s competition.
The triumph is City’s second piece of silverware in 2026. The club had claimed the League Cup following a win over Arsenal in March, and Saturday’s result keeps alive their domestic cup double ambitions. For manager Pep Guardiola, it is his third FA Cup success at City, lifting his total trophy count at the club to 20. The win also ends a painful run of two consecutive FA Cup final defeats against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
Attention now shifts to a tightening Premier League (PL) title race. City trail leaders Arsenal by five points heading into the final stretch, with Arsenal facing Burnley on Monday. A City win against Bournemouth on Tuesday would reduce the gap to two points, though Arsenal remain the team to beat in their bid for a first league title since 2004.
Chelsea’s afternoon to forget was further compounded by a first half penalty appeal dismissed after Joao Pedro went down under a challenge from Abdukodir Khusanov. The defeat deepens a difficult season for the west London side, who sit ninth in the PL table under interim manager Calum McFarlane.
