By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Antoine Semenyo says winning the FA Cup with Manchester City F.C. has strengthened his belief that even greater success lies ahead after the Ghana forward produced the decisive moment in City’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea F.C. at Wembley Stadium.
Semenyo scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute with a brilliant backheel finish from an Erling Haaland cross to hand Pep Guardiola’s side their eighth FA Cup title and complete a domestic cup double following their earlier League Cup success.
The tightly contested final remained goalless until Semenyo’s moment of brilliance broke Chelsea’s resistance during a tense second half. City dominated possession for long periods, while Chelsea struggled to convert their chances despite late pressure.
Speaking after lifting the trophy, Semenyo described the occasion as one of the proudest moments of his career.
“This is the kind of feeling every player wants,” the Ghana international said.
“Winning trophies with this team is unbelievable and hopefully there are many more to come.”
The 26-year-old continued his impressive debut season at Manchester City with another decisive contribution in a major match. Since arriving from AFC Bournemouth in January, Semenyo has become an increasingly influential figure in Guardiola’s attack because of his aggressive pressing, physical strength and versatility across the front line.
His FA Cup-winning strike added to an already productive run of form. Earlier this week, Semenyo scored in City’s commanding 3-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace F.C., while he has also contributed important goals against Fulham and Exeter City in domestic competitions this season.
Statistics from the final underlined City’s control during the contest. Guardiola’s side registered the majority of possession and limited Chelsea to few clear-cut opportunities, while goalkeeper James Trafford remained largely untroubled throughout the match. Chelsea’s best opportunities fell to João Pedro and Enzo Fernández, but neither player could find the breakthrough.
Semenyo’s winning goal was assisted by Haaland, whose clever low delivery into the box was expertly redirected beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez with a stylish flick.
Manager Pep Guardiola praised his squad afterward for maintaining their hunger despite years of sustained success, insisting City’s mentality remains unchanged.
The triumph marked Guardiola’s third FA Cup success with Manchester City and extended the club’s remarkable era of dominance in English football.
For Chelsea, the defeat continued a painful trend in domestic cup finals. The London side have now lost seven consecutive domestic cup finals, intensifying pressure following another turbulent campaign.
Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva lifted the trophy alongside veteran defender John Stones after the presentation ceremony at Wembley, where a crowd of more than 84,000 watched City add another major title to their growing collection.
For Semenyo, however, the focus has already shifted toward future ambitions.
“We want to keep competing for everything,” he said.
“That’s the standard at this club.”
Leave feedback about this