Manchester City won the FA Cup on Saturday, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the final with a deftly finished 72nd-minute goal from Antoine Semenyo to complete an English cup double. <\/p>\n
Ghana’s Semenyo turned and back-heeled the ball past Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez from an Erling Haaland cross. <\/p>\n
The goal sparked what had been a cautious game into life with both sides having chances in the last 20 minutes, Rayan Cherki forcing a fine save from Sanchez and teammate Matheus Nunes hitting the post. <\/p>\n
City captain \u200cBernardo Silva, \u200cwho is leaving the club at the \u200cend \u2060of the season, \u2060described the victory as “very special … it’s really nice to finish this way and maybe we can still have a small dream that we can still fight for the Premier League.” <\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola’s City trail leaders Arsenal by two points in the title race going into the last two games of the \u2060season. <\/p>\n
“It’s just special to me in my last \u200cseason to give them another \u200ctrophy,” Portugal midfielder Silva said in a pitchside TV interview. <\/p>\n
“In the \u200cbeginning of the second half it was really tough \u200cfor us and they put us under a lot of pressure and made it very difficult.” <\/p>\n
It was City’s eighth FA Cup triumph and followed victory in the League Cup in March. <\/p>\n
But it was \u200ca seventh domestic cup final defeat in a row for Chelsea, who had looked to \u2060the showpiece \u2060match for some relief after a turbulent season and two managerial changes. <\/p>\n
Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap all had chances to score for Chelsea in what for long periods was an even, if unexciting, clash. <\/p>\n
But the club’s hopes of European football next season now look very slim, while their American BlueCo owners search for a new manager to replace interim boss Calum McFarlane, who took over from the sacked Liam Rosenior. <\/p>\n
Rosenior lasted less than four months following the new year departure of Enzo Maresca as Chelsea having plunged down the Premier League to ninth place. <\/p>\n