London, May 16: In its 155-year history the FA Cup final can rarely have been won by a more audacious goal.
Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday thanks to a moment of magic from Antoine Semenyo.
The forward brought to life a final that had produced little in the way of chances or excitement with a spectacular back-heeled goal in the second half.
Running onto a cross from Erling Haaland in the 72nd minute, Semenyo flicked his heel at the ball and directed it low into the far corner past diving Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Victory kept City in the hunt for a domestic trophy treble, having already won the English League Cup. Pep Guardiola’s team is also second in the Premier League, two points behind Arsenal with two rounds to go.
This was Guardiola’s 17th major trophy in 10 years at City and his 35th in his career overall.City has won the Cup eight times and moved level with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham as equal third on the all-time winners’ list.
Defeat means Chelsea will end the season trophyless – a year after being crowned Club World Cup champion – in what has been a crisis-ridden campaign.
For all the criticism that has surrounded Manchester City this season — questions over fatigue, squad depth, and whether their era of dominance was beginning to fade — they once again delivered on the biggest domestic stage.
In a tense and cagey final that seemed destined to be remembered more for caution than creativity, it took a flash of improvisation from Antoine Semenyo to settle the contest and etch his name into FA Cup folklore.
The stunning back-heeled finish not only secured another trophy for Pep Guardiola’s side but also underlined the ruthless mentality that has defined Manchester City’s modern dynasty.
With the League Cup already secured and the Premier League title race still alive heading into the final two rounds, the dream of another remarkable domestic treble remains firmly within reach.
For Chelsea, meanwhile, the defeat summed up a frustrating and inconsistent campaign in which moments of promise were repeatedly overshadowed by missed opportunities and a lack of cutting edge in decisive matches. (AP)
