January signings Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi shone for Manchester City in a tense 1-0 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Semenho’s 72nd-minute flick broke the deadlock for City, clinching a double domestic cup title and Guardiola’s 20th major title since moving to Manchester.
City countered Chelsea’s stubborn resistance and performed well in front of England manager Thomas Tuchel, with interim Callum McFarlane in the back five and Levi Colwill making his second start after returning from injury.
But Chelsea lacked the firepower and creativity to find a breakthrough, with Cole Palmer struggling to make an impact again and ending their fifth successive Wembley final scoreless.
Here Sky Sports rates players…
Semenho turns away to celebrate after defeating Robert Sanchez with deft flick
John Stones and Bernardo Silva lift the FA Cup after Man City beat Chelsea 1-0
chelsea
Robert Sanchez – 6
He wore a full skullcap when he returned from a head injury sustained against Nottingham Forest. He made some decent saves when called upon, keeping Erling Haaland, Matheus Nunez and Rayan Cherki at bay. There was nothing I could do to stop the goal.
Erling Haaland makes Robert Sanchez save
Maro Gusto – 5
Service from right is not good enough. Chelsea needed more from the wing-back to provide width to Callum MacFarlane’s back-five formation.
Wesley Fofana – 6
I had the job of playing against Nico O’Reilly and Jeremy Doku, but I tried not to give them too much say.
Levi Colwill – 7
Chelsea’s best player. Distribution was key to Chelsea’s progress up the pitch. They missed his line-breaking pass. This was his second start since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but you probably didn’t know that. Manager Thomas Tuchel was also watching from the stands. Could he win a recall to England?
Jorel Hato – 6
He often played on the left of Chelsea’s back three, and was sometimes asked to play in midfield. I didn’t do anything too bad. Chelsea ultimately crumbled after a moment of brilliance. I felt that a penalty should have been awarded, but Abdukkodir Kusanov was too strong.
Marc Cucurella – 5
He was replaced by Pedro Neto in the 74th minute. He had a good battle with Antoine Semenyo on the right side of Manchester City. Haaland was caught as he drifted into the channel to set up Man City’s opener. He was otherwise solid, but was unable to make an impact offensively.
Reece James – 5
He showed signs of rust in his first starting appearance since March. Jeremy Doku won the ball in his own box in the first half, but Haaland was fortunate to not be able to capitalize on it.
Moises Caicedo – 6
Mateo Kovacic was brought off the bench to deal with a midfield battle with Rodri and Bernardo Silva that cost him his job. He almost scored, but his header from a corner was cleared by Rodri.
Cole Palmer – 5
Chelsea’s star man had an on-and-off season and was largely unknown against his former team. He showed good touch in the first half, but couldn’t get into the game. I spent a lot of time looking back into the past. Chelsea need to help him regain his spark this summer.
Enzo Fernandes – 6
21 minutes into the first half, a great scissor pass from Joao Pedro. It made sense for his teammate to recover before he slipped while shooting. A fierce challenge against Silva earned him the booking. Luckily his follow-through didn’t connect, but it might have been better otherwise. He fought until the end, and in the final stages, he smashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Enzo Fernandes was booked for this tackle on Bernardo Silva
Joao Pedro – 5
Early in the first half, he wasted a chance on a break from Fernandes’ over-the-top pass and slipped before firing. He would have been better off finding a teammate to give him a return pass. He went down easily in the penalty area many times. I spent too much time on the floor.
Joao Pedro slips while attempting to shoot at Man City’s goal.
sub
Pedro Neto – 5
He was brought on by Cucurella as a wing-back in the 74th minute. He did not have the desired effect on the left wing as an attacking replacement for his teammates.
Liam Delap – N/A
He was introduced in the 83rd minute to replace James.
Alejandro Garnacho – N/A
João Pedro was brought on in the 86th minute.
man city
James Trafford – 6
In the first half, Chelsea didn’t have many shots, but they could do little. After the break, they gave away a corner kick unnecessarily, allowing Chelsea to come close to scoring and almost costing the team. Although this season was not what he expected, winning two domestic cups is not bad for a domestic cup keeper.
Matheus Nunez – 7
In the first five minutes, he made a strong tackle on Cucurella on the left side. Chelsea reached the final third for the first time. After 21 minutes, he showed some good defending as he headed Gusto’s cross into the box. It hit the post late on when City were leading 1-0.
Abdukkodir Kusanov – 7
After a mistake of his own gave the ball away to Joao Pedro in the first half, he came to the rescue of Silva, who ran past a Chelsea attacker in the box to prevent him from breaking towards goal. His speed will continue to be a huge asset for City. He also made several other important recovery runs.
Marc Gehi – 8
Guehi and City silenced Cole Palmer at Wembley
A great line-breaking pass that gives Haaland a chance before half-time. He remains as consistent as ever at the back, dealing with Chelsea’s counter-attacking threat. Never go on the wrong foot. What a great autograph he made! The England defender won the FA Cup for the second consecutive season.
Nico O’Reilly – 7
Chelsea struggled to pick him up throughout the game and could have ended up with just a few assists. Immediately after the restart, Semenyo headed in a perfect cross. He also made some bad decisions on crosses, but overall he had a solid result. big threat.
Bernardo Silva – 7
He ran alongside Rodri and Mateo Kovacic in City’s midfield. He lost the ball to Joao Pedro in a dangerous position. As against Palace, his mistakes went unpunished. Otherwise, you can hardly go wrong. City will struggle to find a replacement for him this summer.
Rodri – 6
In the second half, he cleared Caicedo’s goal-bound header at the right time and in the right place. After missing the past four games due to injury, he was brought on immediately after the opening game, and although he was smooth in midfield defense, he showed an unimpressive performance.
Jeremy Doc – 7
Haaland should have scored a goal in the first half when he tapped into James’ pocket, but Haaland was unsure. City’s Herro has been captivating in possession on a number of occasions in recent weeks. Even if he doesn’t score, he still plays a very important role.
Omar Marmouche – 5
I was hooked at halftime. It’s a big task to start a forward ahead of Rayan Cherki, and his performance in the first half was not worthy of playing alongside Haaland up top.
Antoine Semenyo – 8
Semenyo celebrates winning goal at Wembley
In the second half, he flicked in Haaland’s cross to break the deadlock. There was nothing Colwill or Sanchez could do to keep him out. It made up for a missed heading opportunity. What a great autograph he made! Match winners and match players.
Erling Haaland – 7
Erling Haaland misses chance to score in FA Cup final
The striker provided the assist for Semenyo’s winning goal, although the curse of the final cup game against City may yet continue. Streaming unnoticed into the channel, Silva was able to slice through Chelsea before engaging Semenyo. They stopped a good lead early on when they were in ambivalence. City have not scored a goal in 10 finals games. He won’t like it.
sub
Rayan Cherki – 7
His half-time introduction immediately brought composure and creativity in the final third, which he had narrowly missed out on.
Mateo Kovacic – 6
He was introduced in the 65th minute to replace Rodri. He added extra impetus and momentum to City’s play, helping them win another FA Cup.
