Brilliant Semenyo flick sees off Chelsea to win City an eighth FA Cup

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Manchester City F.C.

·16. Mai 2026

Brilliant Semenyo flick sees off Chelsea to win City an eighth FA Cup

A moment of magic from Antoine Semenyo was enough for City to beat Chelsea 1-0 and win the 2025/26 FA Cup at Wembley.

Men's Team

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City win FA Cup for eighth time with victory over Chelsea

With 20 minutes remaining in a tight and tense final, the Ghana international instinctively turned Erling Haaland’s cross beyond Robert Sanchez for one of the great FA Cup final goals.

City weathered the Chelsea fightback to seal an eighth FA Cup in our history.

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It’s also our third under Pep Guardiola, who has now reached 20 major trophies in his magnificent 10 years with the Club to date.

After claiming the League Cup earlier this season, we are now only the second club to win both domestic cups in the same season on two occasions - having previously done so in 2018/19.

We also extend our record for the longest timespan between our maiden FA Cup success and most recent to 122 years, having first won this competition in 1904.

The game in 250 words

A packed-out Wembley emerged from the pomp and circumstance before kick-off into an expectant and buoyant atmosphere.

Men's Team City become second team to win two domestic cup doubles

Once the game began, City settled into familiar possession and carved out the game’s first opening seven minutes in but Omar Marmoush’s goalwards flick didn’t quite have the requisite power to truly test Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea sat back and soaked up pressure, seeking to catch us on the break through the pace of Joao Pedro.

City were not prepared to let them build up from the back, pressing high and nicking the ball off Reece James midway through the first half only for Erling Haaland’s cross to fly beyond Marmoush.

Our opponents grew into the game as it wore on and were perhaps the better team by the break.

Men's Team

City extend record for longest time between first and most recent FA Cups

We started the second half at lightning pace and could have opened the scoring two minutes in when Antoine Semenyo leapt to meet a cross but couldn’t keep his header down.

Chelsea came back punching and a Rodri goalline clearance was required to prevent Moises Caicedo’s header from putting them one up.

The two sides then gave as good as they got, until a moment of Semenyo magic broke the deadlock and sent the sky blue half of Wembley wild.

Picture Special

Gallery: 2025/26 FA Cup trophy lift!

With Haaland released in the inside right channel, Semenyo drifted inwards and could only respond instinctively to the low cross, turning it in from a seemingly impossible angle.

Chelsea didn’t take the result lying down, but a stubborn City defence saw out the 90 minutes to spark further celebrations.

Teams

CITY XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, O’Reilly, Rodrigo (Kovacic 65), Bernardo (C), Semenyo, Marmoush (Cherki 46), Doku, Haaland

Subs: Donnarumma, Dias, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Savinho, Foden

CHELSEA XI: Sanchez, Fofana, Colwill, Hato, Gusto, James (C) (Delap 83), Caicedo, Cucurella (Neto 72), Fernandez, Palmer, Pedro (Garnacho 85)

Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Tosin, Chalobah, Essugo, Andrey Santos

Attendance: 83,337.

Pep Guardiola reaction

“It’s special to win but I had the feeling that last season against Crystal Palace and two seasons ago we were better than today but these types of games, I said it last season, the margins are so minimal.

“This trophy is really cool for the tradition. Back to Manchester now to prepare for the last two games.

“[On Semenyo] Since he arrived, he has had a sense of goal. He can play in three positions and in the last game he had an incredible finish.

“It was massive. It was a little swap, normally he crosses to Erling but he has that sense and it was a really good goal.”

Man of the Match

Marc Guéhi - An immense defensive display from the other key addition in the winter window.

A rock at the heart of the defence, Guéhi stomached every punch Chelsea tried to throw at us and looked more than at home at a stadium that holds so many special memories for him.

It also marks the second successive season he has lifted this trophy, having done so with Crystal Palace this time last year.

The England man was then knocked out in the third round of this campaign with defeat at Macclesfield, but was a star in its showpiece occasion.

Super Semenyo

The winger was a threat throughout the afternoon, running at his marker Marc Cucurella at every opportunity.

His running power and thoughts only of finding the most direct route to goal have proven him to be a nightmare for defenders up and down the country all season.

He carved out a couple of fine openings for himself, as well as attempting to tee up his team-mates.

All of that pales into insignificance when you consider the match winning moment.

Reacting at great speed to a ball fired at him, it takes not only great skill but a confidence in your own abilities that comes from the incredible campaign he’s had.

Having only signed for City in January, Semenyo has already earned himself hero status with the fans for such a decisive moment in a showpiece occasion.

20 up!

As he approaches the end of his tenth campaign at City, Pep Guardiola has now led us to a magnificent 20 major honours.

This success marks his third FA Cup to go alongside six Premier League titles, five League Cups, three Community Shields and one of each when it comes to the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

The Catalan has long been our most successful manager and continues to forge new ground with a whole host of records in English football.

That also means 20 for any players who’ve been present throughout Guardiola’s reign - Club captain Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Phil Foden.

Bernardo reaction

“It’s very special. I’m very happy. Everything about my journey here at City was fantastic. It’s really nice to finish this way.

“Hopefully we can still have a small dream that we can fight for the Premier League. We’re going to try against Bournemouth to keep those hopes alive. Today we’re really happy.

“It’s special for me being my last season to give them another trophy. Hopefully not the last one, but another trophy.

“Since I arrived it’s been 20, so it’s not bad. I’m happy to enjoy all these moments with teammates and fans as well.”

Semenyo reaction

“It feels surreal to be honest. I don’t even have words to describe it. I’ve never competed for trophies like this before.

“Everything is new to me. I’m enjoying every day and enjoying all these trophies. Hopefully we can finish off the job by the end of the season.

“[On his goal] It’s happened a couple of times in training! It happened perfectly today.

“It was behind me, as long as I got contact on it and it was towards goal, I was hoping it would go in.

“Everything happened so fast. I wanted to get into the box and make sure I’m a presence. It came straight to me and I just had to improvise as quickly as I can.

“I’m happy with the finish and grateful. It was good enough contact, timed perfectly and Sanchez couldn’t get there. It’s a good finish I can’t lie.”

What it means

City win an eighth FA Cup in our history and a third under Pep Guardiola.

Only Arsenal and Manchester United have ever won this competition more than us.

What’s next

We go straight back into Premier League action, heading to Bournemouth for our penultimate game of the season on Tuesday. Kick-off at the Vitality Stadium is 19:30 (UK).

Pep and his players know we most likely need to win both remaining matches if we’re to stand a chance of lifting a seventh Premier League title in 10 years.