Manchester City beat horrendous Chelsea to seal first final spot in FA Cup

Saturday 20 April 2024

Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final 2024

Manchester City Vs Chelsea

Wembley Stadium, London HA9 0WS

Manchester City beat horrendous Chelsea to seal first final spot in FA Cup

Bernardo Silva's 84th minute winner sends Manchester City into back-to-back FA Cup finals as they saw off a wasteful and lacklustre Chelsea, who were awful up top.

MATCH PREVIEW:

The third encounter between these two sides this campaign and in this competition as well. Both teams shared 10 goals in 2 games in the Premier League this season, with the two encounters ending in draws. Manchester City are hoping to brush off their disappointing UCL quarter-final exit at the hands of Real Madrid on Wednesday, with their opponents coming into this game on the back of a 6-0 home win by thrashing Everton on Monday night, thanks to former City player, Cole Palmer's 4 goals, despite the penalty-taking arguement between Palmer and his teammates on Monday. Both sides know very well what's in front of them. Win and you play in the final on 25th of May, lose and you go home. Pochettino's Chelsea are doing quite well at the moment, coming on the back of an 8-game unbeaten run across all competitions. Who will seal their spot in the FA Cup final, Pep Guardiola's City or Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea?

THE RUN IN: (With Victories and Replays)

Manchester City: Huddersfield Town (Round 3), Tottenham Hotspur (Round 4), Luton Town (Round of 16), Newcastle United (Quarter-Finals)

Chelsea: Preston North End (Round 3), Aston Villa (Round 4 + Replay), Leeds United (Round of 16), Leicester City (Quarter-Finals)

TEAM NEWS:

There is no Erling Haaland in the starting XI due to a muscle problem he suffered against Real Madrid, but Kevin De Bruyne is fit to start, despite going off on Wednesday due to fatigue. So four changes for City from their UCL QF exit on Wednesday, with John Stones, Stefan Ortega, Julián Álvarez & Nathan Aké starting in place of Ederson, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and the injured Haaland. Formation: 3-2-4-1.

Starting XI: Ortega, Aké, Akanji, Walker, Rodri, Stones, Bernardo Silva, Foden, De Bruyne, Grealish, Álvarez

Substitutes: Ederson, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Doku, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis

Despite the ongoing injury list, Chelsea make one change from their 6-0 win on Monday, with Enzo Fernandez returning to the starting XI to replace Mykhailo Mudryk, who drops to the bench. 

Starting XI: Petrovic, Gusto, Thiago Silva, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Gallagher, Jackson. Formation: 4-2-3-1

Substitutes: Bettinelli, Disasi, Badiashile, Sterling, Mudryk, Chukwuemeka, Chilwell, Washington, Gilchrist.

Players to watch:

Cole Palmer: An outstanding performance from the 21-year-old last time out against Everton. He scored a penalty against his former club to ensure that his side do not lose at home by drawing 4-4 at Stamford Bridge in November. 20 PL goals for him this season, since joining the London club in August 2023.

Bernardo Silva: He hasn't had the best time against Real Madrid, but he can prove those critics wrong today to avenge his awful penalty miss, by scoring today in the semi-final. Can he create an impact?

KICK-OFF: First Half

Manchester City get us underway in the first half of the FA Cup semi-final. There is a lot of expectation that the holders are to advance through to the final, but Chelsea will prove to be a very difficult challenge, having drawn to them twice in the league this season. They will hope to try and take advantage of the mistakes the makeshift Chelsea defence make with the absence of Disasi and Badiashile. On 14 minutes, the game's first chance came courtesy for City. Nicely played by KDB, onto Álvarez, lovely passing from City, on it goes to Foden, rounds the keeper, OH THE TOUCH TOOK IT AWAY AND TRIES TO SHOOT, BUT WELL CLEARED AWAY BY MARC CUCURELLA. THE FIRST WARNING SIGNS FOR CHELSEA. 

They need to be very careful, to avoid any City player from entering the defence. Chelsea's first big opportunity came on 29 minutes. Nicely done by Nicholas Jackson, who beats the offside trap very well, through on goal, can he convert the chance? ROUNDS THE KEEPER, BUT DOES NOT SHOOT!! TRIES TO FIND PALMER, BUT THE BALL GOES ACROSS THE FACE OF GOAL. Big chance wasted for Chelsea! They should've been 1-0 up, but never looked like scoring first. 

Jackson did not take the chance properly and wasted it by trying to find Cole Palmer

Despite those chances, Chelsea are always eager to threaten Manchester City on the counterattack, as they did earlier in the season. Not much between the two sides that separates them coming into the final minutes of the first half. HALF-TIME AT WEMBLEY STADIUM. It's not the best performance from both teams, but they'll look to try and build it up in the second half.

KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF

Chelsea get us underway in the second half. You can't really say, it's been a good half for the Blues of London, as they did miss two chances, one from Jackson and one from the impressive Palmer. And straight away, the first chance for Chelsea.  Great run from Gallagher, finds Jackson, that's a lovely through ball. Now then, CAN JACKSON KEEP CALM, NO HE CAN'T!! ORTEGA SAVES IT. PARRIED AWAY TO PALMER, BACK IN BY THE YOUNGSTER, AND JACKSON AGAIN!!! ONCE AGAIN IT'S STEFAN ORTEGA WHO MAKES A VERY GOOD SAVE TO DENY THE SENEGALESE FORWARD. Two big chances missed by the 22-year-old. Is this going to hurt Chelsea real bad?

Jackson's two efforts on goal were saved by Ortega right at the start of the second half.

It wasn't all that impressive from both teams, until a huge moment on 62 minutes. Free kick for Chelsea, and Palmer takes it. NOW THERE'S A TOUCH ON THE WAY THROUGH AND CHELSEA ARE CONVINCED THERE'S A HANDBALL BY JACK GREALISH. But is that enough to convince Michael Oliver to award a penalty? VAR Check, and the result was NO PENALTY, GOAL KICK TO MAN CITY. How big of a moment is that? That result will surely be a kick in the teeth for Chelsea fans. But have City got away with it?

Not many bright moments to see, despite Chelsea coming forward, beating the offside trap, yet their crossing and finishing has not impressed. With all the missed chances from the London side, the biggest one came on 84 minutes for the holders. Acres of space for De Bruyne, makes a great run, plays a one-two with the substitute, Doku. Back it comes to the 32-year-old, into the box he dribbles in, cuts back, Petrovic parries it away, and THE CHANCE IS CONVERTED INTO THE BACK OF THE NET!! BERNARDOOOO SILVAAA!!!!! AT LAST, A GOAL IN THE 84TH MINUTE OF THE SEMI-FINAL, IT IS BERNARDO SILVA WHOSE SHOT TOOK A DEFLECTION OF A DEFENDER AND INTO THE BACK OF THE NET, BUT THE PORTUGUESE WILL NOT CARE ONE BIT. MAKES UP FOR THE MISSED PENALTY ON WEDNESDAY, WITH WHAT IS A MATCH-WINNING GOAL FOR MANCHESTER CITY, AS THEY LOOK TO CLOSE IN ON BACK-TO-BACK FA CUP FINALS!! WHAT A HUGE MOMENT IN THE GAME.

Bernardo Silva scores the winner on 84 minutes in the semi-final.

This has been a thorn in Chelsea so far. Their awful finishing might cost them the final, can they find a response with only 5 minutes to play?

There will be 8 minutes of stoppage time. And Chelsea are going to need it, to have any chance of forcing extra-time at Wembley. Not much for Chelsea to see, despite a free kick coming in, but City clear it away, De Bruyne takes it away and looks to kill off the remaining minutes. AND THAT'S IT!! MICHAEL OLIVER BLOWS THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE, AND MANCHESTER CITY ARE INTO THE FA CUP FINAL!! IT'S BEEN A HARD-WORKING WIN THIS, FOR PEP GUARDIOLA'S SIDE. They shook off the disappointing champions league exit, by beating Chelsea at Wembley and are into the FA Cup final where they will face off Manchester United after they squeaked past Coventry City on penalties, despite a terrible second half. 

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne was unveiled as the man of the match for his performance in the FA Cup SF

He may have had a couple of bad games, but this game just proves to you all, why Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best midfielders in the world. Orchestrated the midfield alongside Rodri, and despite having a game where he hasn't been at his very best, he is still the key man that City need, to have a chance of doing the double of the 4peat in the PL and the FA Cup.