Manchester City have added another FA Cup triumph to their cabinet, beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley to secure the trophy for the eighth time.
Antoine Semenyo’s deft backheel strike in the second half provided the winning margin in a tightly contested Wembley showpiece.
The victory also underlines the size of Pep Guardiola’s impact: it is City’s 20th major piece of silverware during his time in charge to date.
Quick facts
- Manchester City won the FA Cup for the eighth time, defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley.
- Antoine Semenyo scored the decisive goal with a backheel finish in the second half.
- It is the 20th major honour in Guardiola’s decade at the club.
- After a League Cup success earlier in the season, it is the sixth instance in English football history of a team winning both domestic cup competitions.
- City have achieved the cup double before, in 2018/19.
- The gap between their first and latest FA Cup wins stands at 122 years, extending the club’s own record.
- Only Arsenal and Manchester United have won the competition more times than City.
- This marks Guardiola’s third FA Cup title, following a run that included four consecutive finals and eight straight semi-finals.
- Since arriving in England in 2016, Guardiola has won 46 FA Cup ties, nine more than the next-best team in that span.
Having previously completed the domestic cup double in 2018/19, this latest haul makes it the second time City have managed the feat. It is also a reminder of how rare it is: only a handful of teams in the history of English football have managed to lift both major cups in the same campaign.
City’s FA Cup timeline now stretches to a remarkable 122-year span between their first and most recent triumphs, a figure that pushes their own record even further.
In the competition’s long history, the only clubs ahead of City for total FA Cup wins are Arsenal and Manchester United.
Guardiola’s landmark run
This is Guardiola’s third time winning the FA Cup as manager. His tenure has also been defined by an extraordinary run of consistency, including leading City to become the first side to reach four successive finals and eight consecutive semi-finals.
Since Guardiola arrived in England in 2016, he has overseen 46 victories in FA Cup ties, finishing nine wins ahead of the next strongest team in that period.
City captain Bernardo Silva described the win as another unforgettable chapter, as he nears the end of his career at the Etihad Stadium.
“The FA Cup is a really, really special competition. To win it means so much to all the players, management and staff,” Silva said.
He added that, after nine seasons at the club, he understands how much the trophy means to supporters. Silva noted that fans have to travel to Wembley so often, which is not easy, but are always behind the team—making days like this even better.
Silva also stressed the emotion of lifting silverware at Wembley, where City have played many times, and said doing it as captain makes it one of the best days of his career. He finished by pointing out that, having already won the League Cup earlier this year, this group has now tasted success—and he expects more trophies to follow.
With the celebrations complete, City will turn attention to the closing stretch of the Premier League season. They remain in the fight for a record 11th top-flight title in their history.
City then sent their congratulations to Guardiola, his backroom staff and the players on another major success.
