Antoine Semenyo scores stunning winner as Manchester City beat Chelsea in FA Cup final

Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo scored the decisive goal as Manchester City defeated Chelsea FC 1-0 to win the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Semenyo produced the breakthrough in the 72nd minute with a clever finish from an Erling Haaland pass, settling a tense contest that had remained goalless for much of the afternoon.

The victory handed Pep Guardiola’s side another major domestic trophy after a tightly contested encounter in which City largely controlled possession but struggled for long periods to create clear opportunities.

Manchester City started the match strongly and nearly opened the scoring early on when Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush found himself in a promising position, only to misjudge the flight of the ball.

Despite dominating the opening stages, City found Chelsea difficult to break down, with the London side remaining organised defensively while waiting for chances on the counterattack.

Chelsea’s first significant opportunity arrived after 22 minutes through João Pedro, but the forward lost his footing at a crucial moment and failed to trouble the goalkeeper.

City thought they had taken the lead shortly afterwards when Erling Haaland finished from close range, but the goal was ruled out after Matheus Nunes was judged to have been offside in the build-up.

The opening half ended without a goal despite further attempts from Haaland and Semenyo as both sides struggled to find the finishing touch.

Manchester City returned after the interval with greater intensity, increasing the pressure on Chelsea’s defence while continuing to dominate the ball.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 72nd minute when Haaland supplied Semenyo inside the area and the Ghanaian forward produced an impressive backheel finish to beat Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.

Chelsea pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the closing stages, but City continued to create the more dangerous openings.

Matheus Nunes struck the post from a difficult angle, while Sánchez produced another important save to deny substitute Ryan Cherki.

Chelsea’s final opportunity arrived deep into stoppage time when Liam Delap rose for a header, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.

Manchester City ultimately held on to secure a narrow victory and lift the FA Cup after Semenyo’s goal proved enough to separate the two sides at Wembley.

OH. MY. WORD.

Antoine Semenyo with a sensational flick to light up this #EmiratesFACup Final and give @ManCity the breakthrough 🤯

📺 @BBCMOTD, @footballontnt and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/6WEjBKOHKS

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 16, 2026