Manchester City booked their place in a third consecutive FA Cup final by defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, securing a chance to salvage silverware on the same day their four-year reign as Premier League champions officially ended.
With Liverpool’s victory over Tottenham confirming the title was heading back to Anfield, Pep Guardiola’s side ensured their own season would still feature a trip to Wembley for the final showpiece on May 17th against Crystal Palace.
City took control of the semi-final almost immediately. Just two minutes in, Mateo Kovačić found Rico Lewis on the edge of the area, and the young full-back drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
City dominated the first half, with Omar Marmoush and Nico O’Reilly also going close, while Forest failed to register a shot before the break.
Forest were much improved after halftime and missed a golden opportunity to equalize seconds after the restart when Anthony Elanga, celebrating his 23rd birthday, steered Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross wide from close range.
That miss proved costly as City doubled their lead six minutes into the second half (51st minute). Defender Joško Gvardiol rose highest at a corner delivered by Marmoush to power a header into the net.
Despite the setback, Forest rallied impressively and were incredibly unlucky not to get back into the game. They struck the woodwork three times – Morgan Gibbs-White hit the crossbar with a volley and later the post from a tight angle, while substitute Taiwo Awoniyi also saw an effort clip the post.
Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega also made a fine save to deny Nicolas Dominguez’s header.
Ultimately, Forest’s spirited effort wasn’t enough as City’s experience saw them through. Having won the FA Cup seven times previously, City will aim to lift the trophy for the eighth time when they face Crystal Palace next month, becoming the first English club to reach three successive finals in both the FA Cup and League Cup.
For Nottingham Forest, who were playing in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1991, it was a disappointing end to their cup run. They must now refocus on their remaining Premier League fixtures to secure a top-five finish and qualify for next season’s Champions League, following their league defeat to Spurs on Monday night which saw them drop to 6th place.
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