Manchester City have reached the FA Cup final after defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium following a late goal by Bernardo Silva.
Silva’s goal prevented Pep Guardiola’s team from going into extra time after being knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals on penalties by Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team will be upset for not seizing the lead before the game reached that point.
They produced considerably more opportunities, and Nicolas Jackson could easily have scored twice. Cole Palmer has been in brilliant form and started the game on the front foot against his former club, hoping to give Chelsea the lead.
City had fewer chances in the first half, but their best came from Kevin De Bruyne’s signature through ball, which split Chelsea’s defenders.
He targeted Phil Foden, who could have struck the ball first but chose to go around Đorđe Petrović, resulting in a tighter angle. He passed the ball across the area, which Marc Cucurella cleared.
Chelsea was once more superior in the second half but stumbled at the most crucial moment. In less than a minute, Jackson had two incredible opportunities. The first came when he was passed through one-on-one with Ortega, but he fired the ball straight at the City keeper. The Senegalese striker then headed inside the six-yard area, straight at Ortega once more.
Silva’s brilliant finish at the back post helped Guardiola’s team win, as they so frequently do. Once more, De Bruyne was the driving force behind City’s success as his low cross was misdirected straight into the Portuguese midfielder’s path.
City’s victory came after a fierce midweek battle. During an interview with the BBC, Guardiola voiced his displeasure that this game was scheduled for Saturday rather than Sunday since Manchester United did not participate in any European competitions this week.
United will meet Coventry City in the second semifinal, on Sunday. If Erik ten Hag’s side advances, it will be the first time in history that the FA Cup final will feature a second consecutive Manchester derby.
City memorably defeated United last year to keep their treble dreams alive. This year, they’ll be hoping to win the double while they remain in the Premier League title fight.