Following their Champions League exit at the hands of the formidable Real Madrid, Manchester City turned their attention to the FA Cup. Chelsea FC controlled the match but squandered numerous scoring opportunities.

Chelsea’s £30 million striker, Nicolas Jackson, was notably thwarted twice in rapid succession by Manchester City’s goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega, in the latter half of the game. Chelsea’s manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was left aggrieved when a penalty was not awarded after Cole Palmer’s free-kick hit the hand of Manchester City’s winger, Jack Grealish, inside the penalty area. Referee Oliver dismissed the penalty claims, opting not to review the incident through VAR, to the astonishment of Chelsea supporters and fans alike.

The match saw several strategic substitutions. Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, made his first change at the 45-minute mark, bringing on Ruben Diaz for John Stones. Further changes included Jeremy Doku coming on for Jack Grealish and Oscar Bobb replacing Julian Alvarez. Similarly, Pochettino made his moves by introducing Mykhalo Mudryk for Noni Madueke and Axel Disasi for Malo Gusto. The distribution of yellow cards was even between the two teams. As the second half progressed, Manchester City began to assert control. Jeremy Doku, who came on for Jack Grealish, was immediately involved, but his low shot was saved by Petrovic’s feet. Shortly after, Kevin De Bruyne missed the target as City continued their search for a goal.

The turning point arrived with just six minutes remaining. A cross from De Bruyne was inadvertently redirected by Petrovic straight to Silva, who made no mistake in finding the net from the far post, dashing Chelsea’s hopes and propelling his team into the final.