Manchester City booked a tenth FA Cup final appearance under Pep Guardiola with a convincing three one semi final victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley on 20 April. The holders controlled proceedings from the outset, registering seventy two percent possession and sixteen shots on target. Phil Foden broke the deadlock after nine minutes, guiding a low drive beyond Forest keeper Matz Sels following intricate interplay between Julian Alvarez and Joao Cancelo. Forest equalised briefly through Taiwo Awoniyi’s towering header, but City regained control just before the interval when Rodri powered home a near post corner.
The decisive blow arrived on sixty eight minutes when Bernardo Silva danced along the byline and chipped a delicate pass that Erling Haaland nodded in from two yards. Guardiola praised Forest’s spirited effort yet celebrated his team’s patience in breaking down a stubborn low block. The win extended City’s unbeaten domestic cup run to fourteen matches and set up a tantalising final against Crystal Palace, who stunned Aston Villa in the other semi. Injury rehabilitation protocols allowed Kevin De Bruyne fifteen late minutes, while new signing Adam Wharton impressed observers with a composed cameo at the base of midfield.
After the match captain Kyle Walker emphasised the squad’s hunger to add another trophy, noting that many critics questioned City’s depth after a December dip. The Football Association confirmed the final will take place on 17 May with a 4.30 pm kick off, a slot adjusted to avoid a clash with the Eurovision Song Contest. Ticket demand is expected to surpass seventy five thousand allocations per club.
