Semenyo's flicked finish gives City FA Cup win over Chelsea

Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.

Eight years ago Semenyo was on loan at non-league Bath City. On Saturday he carved his name into Wembley folklore with an improvised flicked finish in the 72nd minute that settled an otherwise low-scoring final.

The 26-year-old joined City from Bournemouth in January for £62.5 million. His strike gave manager Pep Guardiola a 16th major trophy and the club its 20th piece of silverware in his 10 years in charge.

"It has happened a couple of times in training. It happened perfectly today," Semenyo told BBC Sport. "Everything happened so fast. It came straight to me and I had to improvise as quickly as I could. I have never competed for trophies like this before. It is a good finish, I can't lie."

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was just brilliant from Antoine Semenyo. The timing of the run and the finish is incredible. It was either going to take a mistake or a piece of quality to break the deadlock, and it was a moment of sheer quality. That, for me, is one of the goals of the season."

Italian dance group Milky's 2002 hit Just the Way You Are was played from the west stand as City lifted the trophy. Semenyo joined his teammates in a circle on the pitch before jumping in celebration.

Chelsea had aimed to sit deep and strike on the counter. The plan worked for long stretches until Semenyo's moment of quality broke the deadlock. He was named player of the match and helped City become the first team to win every game in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season.

Semenyo made an immediate impact after City beat interest from Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham for his signature. He scored on his debut in a 10-1 third-round win over Exeter and has been involved in more FA Cup goals than any teammate this season.

He also became the first Ghanaian player to score in an FA Cup final, helping City recover from losses in the previous two finals against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

"The first thing he said to me when I came was 'don't change your game'," Semenyo said of Guardiola. "He knows we control the game a lot. He still wants me to be me, still create a bit of chaos."

City also signed England defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace for £20 million in January. Guehi became only the fourth player to win consecutive FA Cup finals with different clubs after helping Palace beat City last season.

"To be honest, they are both equally as nice," Guehi told TNT Sports. "The one with Palace was a different occasion. It was my first trophy. This one, especially after the tough season, they're both equally amazing."

City remain two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal with two games left. Guardiola said there would be no immediate celebration after the final. "Not even one beer," he said. "Next Monday after Aston Villa we are going to celebrate it with the women's team."

The win was also memorable for captain Bernardo Silva and defender John Stones, both of whom are leaving the club at the end of the season.