(foto: Uradni Twitter profil kluba/zveze)
Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Wembley to reach their third consecutive FA Cup final, setting up a clash with Crystal Palace on May 17.
Manchester City are back in the FA Cup final for a third successive year after a commanding 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest at Wembley on Sunday.
Rico Lewis fired City into an early lead, and Josko Gvardiol sealed the victory with a second-half header, booking their place in the final where they will face Crystal Palace on May 17.
It marks City's 14th FA Cup final appearance and gives them a chance to lift the trophy for the eighth time — and the third under Pep Guardiola since he took charge in 2016.
After losing last year’s final to Manchester United, City will head into this season’s final as favourites, especially after a 5-2 demolition of Palace earlier this month.
End of an era:
While City's FA Cup dream remains alive, their reign as English champions ended at the final whistle, as Liverpool clinched the Premier League title following their victory against Tottenham.
Still battling for a top-five finish to secure Champions League football next season, Guardiola knows City’s FA Cup bid could salvage an otherwise turbulent campaign.
City start fast, Forest miss chances:
City needed just two minutes to find the net. After a spell of probing passing, Lewis unleashed a fierce drive into the bottom corner, giving Forest an early mountain to climb.
With key players missing and 18-year-old Zach Abbott thrown into the lineup, Forest struggled to keep pace. City’s pressing was relentless, and Nico O’Reilly came close to doubling the lead before halftime.
Forest failed to register a single shot or even a meaningful touch inside the City box before the break, and although Anthony Elanga brought more threat after coming on, it wasn’t enough.
City’s ruthlessness sealed it in the 51st minute. After Matheus Nunes forced a save, Omar Marmoush delivered a corner that Gvardiol powered into the net with a commanding header.
Forest hit the woodwork three times through Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi, but City's win was never in real doubt as they kept their hopes alive of ending the season with a trophy.