sports
Manchester City’s FA Cup glory: where final against Chelsea was won and lost
Antoine Semenyo’s Kanu-esque backheel was one of the great Cup final goals as Guardiola’s forwards stepped up to end the challenge of McFarlane’s stubborn Blues
TL;DR
- Pep Guardiola's initial starting lineup decision to play Omar Marmoush over Rayan Cherki impacted Manchester City's early performance.
- Chelsea, utilizing a back three and strong midfield presence from Reece James and Moisés Caicedo, effectively absorbed pressure.
- Antoine Semenyo scored the winning goal with a Kanu-esque backheel in the 72nd minute, assisted by Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva.
- Chelsea felt they should have been awarded at least one penalty due to challenges by Abdukodir Khusanov on Jorrel Hato and João Pedro.
- Bernardo Silva, playing in his last appearance for City in a final, showed determination despite not having his best game.
- Manchester City's introduction of Mateo Kovacic in the 65th minute led to increased confidence and the eventual winning goal.