Semenyo Stuns

Explore GOAL Betting withGetty/GOALKrishan Davis17 May 2026 00:00-07:00Antoine Semenyo's moment of magic lights up gloomy Wembley - but more doom on the horizon for Chelsea as European hopes fade ahead of Xabi Alonso appointment: Winners and losers from Man City's FA Cup final victoryWinners & LosersFA CupManchester CityChelseaA. SemenyoL. ColwillB. SilvaO. MarmoushFEATURESChelsea vs Manchester CityAntoine Semenyo ensured Manchester City wrapped up a domestic cup double at Wembley on Saturday, as his sublime flick 18 minutes from time decided the FA Cup final at Chelsea's expense. Conversely, the 1-0 defeat was the confirmation of another miserable season for the Blues, whose hopes of qualifying for any form of European football are now in serious jeopardy. Chelsea's game plan worked for 72 minutes; interim head coach Calum McFarlane lined his side up with as many as six defensive players on the pitch, as well as Moises Caicedo, with the intention of nullifying City's attacking threat and seizing any opportunities that came on the break, and at one stage the underdogs looked capable of grabbing an unlikely victory. Ultimately, though, it was Pep Guardiola's side who snatched the spoils just when it looked like they might be slipping onto the back foot. A largely forgettable 90 minutes was punctuated by a moment of world-class quality worthy of winning any match, as Semenyo swept home an extraordinary back-heeled flick from Erling Haaland's cross. City weathered a scrappy ending to the game to claim their second domestic trophy of the season following the Carabao Cup triumph over Arsenal in March, while the defeat means the back door into Europe has been slammed in manager-less Chelsea's face with just two league games to play. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Wembley. . . WINNER: Antoine SemenyoThis will be remembered as the 'Semenyo Final' among the City fanbase, and for good reason. The match had been crying out for a moment of quality and a winning strike from either side as the clock ticked down towards extra-time, with Chelsea actually on the front foot at the time. It was Semenyo who delivered - and then some. Ironically, he could have been lining up for the opposition, as the Blues considered signing him in 2019 when he was a Bristol City player. Having headed over from a glaring opportunity early in the second half, Semenyo redeemed himself by producing a wonderfully deft flick to divert Haaland's intelligent cut-back beyond Robert Sanchez's despairing dive, pirouetting and back-heeling it into the bottom corner to spark ecstasy in the away end. It's a moment that caps a fine individual season for the 26-year-old that spans his time with both Bournemouth and City and has culminated in him already winning two trophies since joining the Sky Blues in January, hitting the 20-goal mark to boot. AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: BlueCoChelsea might have reached the FA Cup final, but this ultimately became another low point for their beleaguered owners, BlueCo. The showpiece represented the club's last chance to salvage something from their season, and it was potentially their only hope of securing European football for 2026-27 after another miserable domestic campaign. They find themselves ninth in the Premier League with two games to play. A section of the Blues' fanbase protested against the ownership on Wembley Way before kick-off, holding a banner that read "BlueCo OUT! We want our Chelsea back" as they made the famous walk to the stadium. This is the result of four years of perceived mismanagement, questionable transfers and churn in the dugout, and the ill feeling towards the hierarchy puts even more pressure on the decision over who will replace Liam Rosenior on a permanent basis after his ill-fated tenure lasted fewer than four months. It seems that man will be Xabi Alonso, which could lift the gloom around the club. Getty Images SportWINNER: Levi ColwillHe may have ended the game on the losing side, but Levi Colwill was outstanding for Chelsea under the Wembley arch, with England boss Thomas Tuchel a keen observer in the stands. The centre-back didn't look like a player who had missed the vast majority of the season on what was just his third appearance of 2025-26, on his toes defensively and bringing a fresh dimension to the Blues' attacking play with some excellent line-breaking passes. It's been reported that Tuchel has made the extraordinary decision to include Colwill in his provisional 55-man squad for the World Cup, and it's difficult to argue with that selection call on this evidence, even if he only returned from the ruptured ACL he suffered in pre-season in April. The 23-year-old could very well be making a late run onto the plane to North America. ENJOYED THIS STORY?Add GOAL. com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingGetty Images SportLOSER: Omar MarmoushThis was another FA Cup final to forget for Omar Marmoush after he had a first-half penalty saved in the 2025 defeat to Crystal Palace. You could argue that the forward had earned a start amid some decent form in the Premier League as City look to chase Arsenal down, but Guardiola's decision to shoehorn him into the No. 10 role behind Haaland on such a big occasion was questionable. Sure enough, the experiment didn't prove worthwhile as City's attacking threat was largely nullified by Chelsea in the opening 45, and the Egyptian was especially quiet - forcing his manager to take ruthless action at the break as he was replaced by Rayan Cherki, who was instantly more impactful as a natural fit for the position. It was a performance that will probably raise more questions over Marmoush's future at City. AFPWINNER: Bernardo SilvaPlaying in his last-ever final for City, Bernardo Silva was exemplary once again in the middle of the park. After losing his place in the frontline amid an influx of new arrivals, he has reinvented himself as a tireless box-to-box presence in midfield and ran himself into the Wembley ground for the cause on Saturday. It was apt, too, that he was involved in the all-important winning goal, playing a typically intelligent pass into Haaland's path before the striker pulled it back for Semenyo to finish with utter impudence. This was the 16th and perhaps not final piece of major silverware the Portuguese maestro has claimed in his glittering nine years with the club as he prepares to leave at the end of his contract. AFPLOSER: The neutralWhile the showpiece had fleeting moments of edge-of-your-seat drama and individual brilliance - most notably the winning goal - this wasn't exactly a final that will live long in the memory for the neutral. Chelsea's game plan was clearly to stifle City in the first half and snaffle any opportunities they could muster on the break, and that resulted in a 45 minutes that was largely a battle of attrition. The second period was more entertaining, as the Blues came out of their shell with the scores level, perhaps sensing an opportunity, and the match was increasingly stretched and scrappy once City had edged in front. However, there was no further drama or flashes of individual brilliance, with the contest likely to be remembered only for Semenyo's sublime strike.