Manchester City secured their spot in the FA Cup final with a thrilling 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday. The reigning champions clinched the win with a late goal from Bernardo Silva in the 84th minute, sending them through to the showpiece game on May 25.
Silva’s goal came after Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic parried a shot from Kevin De Bruyne, allowing Silva to calmly sidefoot the ball into the net. The result was a welcome relief for City, who had suffered a heartbreaking Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid earlier in the week.
Speaking after the match, Silva expressed his happiness at the win, saying, “The good thing is in football, if you play at Man City you play every three days, so after two to three days, you have a chance for a bit of revenge and to put things right.”
City, who are currently leading the Premier League standings, are now in contention for a double as they await the winner of the semifinal clash between Manchester United and Coventry City.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will be left ruing missed opportunities as they failed to capitalize on several chances throughout the game. Despite some promising moments from players like Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, Chelsea ultimately fell short, with a late free kick from Mykhailo Mudryk sailing over the bar in the dying moments of the match.
The defeat marks Chelsea’s sixth elimination from the FA Cup by Manchester City in their last eight encounters, highlighting the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s side in cup competitions.