City's Semenyo seals FA Cup with brilliant backheel

Manchester City players celebrate after winning the FA Cup on Saturday. Pics/Getty Images

Antoine Semenyo produced one of the great FA Cup final goals with an audacious backheel goal that sealed Manchester City's 1-0 win against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday. Semenyo illuminated a largely scrappy final late in the second half as he improvised a sublime finish to caress Erling Haaland's cross into the net.

The Ghana winger's moment of magic was enough to clinch City's eighth FA Cup triumph and their second piece of silverware this season after the League Cup final win over Arsenal in March. The third FA Cup success of Guardiola's reign ended City's run of two successive defeats in the final against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

Man City's Antoine Semenyo after scoring against Chelsea

With Chelsea content to sit deep in their five-man defence, City dominated possession for long periods of the first half, but couldn't make the breakthrough. It was a cagey and often flat occasion, in keeping with two teams who have underachieved this season.

Haaland fired wide from an acute angle after stealing possession on the edge of the Chelsea area. Haaland threatened to prise open Chelsea's well-drilled rearguard late in the first half, surging onto Marc Guehi's pass for a stinging strike that Robert Sanchez saved at his near post.

Relying on only occasional counter-attacks, Chelsea felt aggrieved just before the interval when their penalty claim was rejected after Joao Pedro was bundled over by Abdukodir Khusanov. Semenyo should have broken the deadlock immediately after the break, heading over from six yards after climbing to meet Nico O'Reilly's cross.

Moises Caicedo's header was nodded off the line by Rodri after City keeper James Trafford fumbled a corner. But City finally delivered the knockout blow in the 72nd minute. Haaland made a clever run down the right-hand side of the Chelsea area and cut the ball back to Semenyo, who deftly back-heeled his supreme finish into the far corner from close range.

Eight
No of times Man City have won the FA Cup

Six
No of times an English team has won both domestic titles in a season; City had beaten Arsenal in the EFL Cup earlier

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