With the sunshine out and spirits high, there was a lot expectancy for this FA Cup semi-final. A place in the final was a stake, with the two sides a good match-up; an electric Nottingham Forest side against an in-form Manchester City.
It was a professional and classic Manchester City performance, with Rico Lewis striking for City within 180 seconds, sending the blue side of Wembley into rapture. It was a dominant first half from Manchester City.
A second half header from Joško Gvardiol all but secured City’s place in the final, although Pep Guardiola’s side did ride their luck at times throughout the game; Nottingham Forest will probably still be wondering how they didn’t find the back of the net, with the woodwork denying them on three occasions in the second period. Victory at Wembley was a familiar feeling for the Manchester City fans, who have reached the FA Cup final for the third year in a row.
As it happened
There were a few surprises in the line-ups, with Jack Grealish starting while Kevin De Bruyne began the game on the bench. For Nottingham Forest, the highly-rated academy graduate Zach Abbott was given just his second senior start by Nuno Espírito Santo, and Anthony Elanga was named among the substitutes.
After the belting out of the club anthems, Morgan Gibbs-White and Nottingham Forest got the ball rolling at Wembley. Just two minutes in, Manchester City took a crucial early lead through a second goal of the season for Lewis, who took it quite brilliantly. Mateo Kovačić danced his way through the Forest defence after some patient build-up play from The Citizens before laying it off to the boyhood blue, who took a touch out of his feet before firing a shot low and hard into the corner. It was the dream start for Guardiola and Manchester City.
Embed from Getty ImagesForest struggled to get a foothold in the game, with Kovačić blitzing through their defence once more. This time, it didn’t result to anything substantial, though City continued to pile on the pressure. With 20 minutes on the clock, they had enjoyed 78% of possession, with Nuno’s side unable to cope with the relentless pressure from the then English champions.
After a tough start at Wembley, Forest began to enjoy some spells of possession, but the City chances didn’t stop, with Nico O’Reilly firing wide from range. That said, the moments of possession for Forest were minimal and lacked fluidity. This was surprising, as Forest have been so good at that this season, especially on the counter-attack.
Finally, just after the half hour mark, Forest found themselves in a promising position. Gibbs-White unleashed a through ball to Callum Hudson-Odoi, who looked to tee up Chris Wood, but a crucial intervention from Gvardiol denied any hopes of an equaliser. It may not have counted regardless, with the flag raised, but it was a positive to take after a difficult first half from the reds.
After 45 minutes in the capital, Manchester City took a deserved 1-0 lead into the break, with Forest needing a lot more in the second period if they wanted to make it to their first FA Cup final since 1991.
Elanga replaced Danilo for the second period, a change the Forest fans would have been happy to see, with the hope the Swedish international could inject some energy into the side. A golden opportunity arose for the substitute just one minute after being introduced, and he should have put Forest level. Hudson-Odoi found the winger in the middle after a bursting run down the left-hand-side, but the former Manchester United man unable to turn it in from close range. It would have been some introduction from the birthday boy.
Down the other end, Manchester City punished Forest and Elanga for that miss. A couple of saves from Matz Sels at his near post kept City out, before a penalty appeal was waved away by Michael Oliver after the ball struck Abbott’s arm. It wouldn’t matter, however, with a thumping header from Gvardiol giving his side breathing space. Omar Marmoush’s delightful delivery from the corner was met by the rising Croat, who powered home to double City’s advantage.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a frantic opening 10 minutes to the second period at Wembley, the task for Nottingham Forest became all the more difficult after the City second, with the goal from the Croatian defender giving his side one foot into a third consecutive FA Cup final. There was no letting up from Guardiola’s side, as they continued to dominate the ball. Marmoush was unlucky not to add a third after firing an effort towards the near post, but the finger tips of Sels denied the Egyptian.
An outrageous effort from Gibbs-White nearly put Forest back into the tie. Elanga had transformed the front-line since his introduction at half-time, this time dinking a cross to find Gibbs-White, who caught a volley sweetly before the shot rattled off the crossbar to the cries of the Forest end. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man was so unfortunate not to find the back of the net with his attempt, as the volley looked destined for the top corner.
Forest began to unsettle Manchester City towards the end, but it just wasn’t to be their day. Gvardiol was shrugged off the ball after high pressure from The Reds, with Gibbs-White pouncing and taking it around Stefan Ortega. It looked to be a certain goal, but from the tight angle, the attacking midfielder’s struck the base of the post. The second period was much more positive from Nuno’s side despite the scoreline.
Alas, Nottingham Forest just simply couldn’t find a way through, and it seemed that luck wasn’t falling their way. On this occasion, a deflected effort fell to substitute Taiwo Awoniyi, who’s impulsive flick came back off the post, this the third time they’d been denied by the woodwork. A header from Gibbs-White on the rebound was then pushed away superbly by Ortega.
Manchester City closed in on the victory and booked their place for the final. Despite the Nottingham Forest opportunities, it was yet again another victory at Wembley for Manchester City, who will face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on May 17th.
The lineups
NFO: Sels: Abbott, Milenković, Murillo, Toffolo; Domínguez, Danillo; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Anderson; Wood.
MCI: Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovačić, Lewis; Savinho, Silva, Grealish; Marmoush.