Manchester City secured their place in a third successive FA Cup final after a dominant 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Pep Guardiola’s team, aiming to salvage a turbulent season, took the lead early through Rico Lewis before Josko Gvardiol doubled their advantage in the second half, ensuring a comfortable semi-final triumph. City will now meet Crystal Palace at Wembley on May 17, 2025, after the Eagles beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the other semi-final.
This will mark City’s 14th appearance in an FA Cup final, offering them the chance to lift the trophy for the eighth time and the third since Guardiola took charge in 2016. After losing to Manchester United in last year’s final, Guardiola will be keen to restore his side’s silverware collection, especially as Liverpool’s win over Tottenham earlier in the day officially ended City’s reign as Premier League champions.
Forest, who remain two points behind third-placed Newcastle but with a game in hand, were no match for City’s slick and relentless pressing. Making only their second trip to Wembley since its reopening in 2007, Forest struggled to match City’s intensity, particularly in a first half where they failed to register a single shot and managed only one touch inside the City box.
City quickly stamped their authority when Lewis blasted a low drive into the bottom corner after Forest allowed him too much space. Guardiola’s side continued to dominate, with youngster Nico O’Reilly coming close to extending the lead. Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision to field 18-year-old Zach Abbott at right-back backfired as the youngster was repeatedly exposed.
Although Forest showed more fight after the interval, with Anthony Elanga missing a golden chance and Morgan Gibbs-White hitting the crossbar and post, City remained ruthless. Gvardiol headed home from a corner to seal the victory, as Forest’s late surge proved too little, too late. Manchester City now look ahead to the final against Palace, determined to avoid a first trophyless season under Guardiola since 2016-17.
Chris Wood and Nottingham Forest lost their FA Cup semi-final to Manchester City. City scored a goal early in each half at Wembley Stadium to earn a place in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. Forest always faced an uphill battle after Rico Lewis scored in the second minute, and Josko Gvardiol doubled City’s lead soon after the interval.
Forest chanced their arm in the second half as they tried to get back into the game but could not get past a resolute City defence, despite hitting the goalposts three times during the game. Wood was substituted in the 71st minute. The final score was Nottingham Forest 0, Manchester City 2.
Manchester City's third successive appearance in the Wembley FA Cup final will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2025. City reached the final with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol scored the goals to see them past Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
After their run of four straight League Cup triumphs earlier in Pep Guardiola’s reign, it means they’re the first club ever to reach the final of both major domestic cups three seasons running. That record-extending seventh straight final four appearance came after defeats of Salford City, Leyton Orient, Plymouth Argyle, and AFC Bournemouth.
Crystal Palace are in their first final since 2016 thanks to wins over Stockport County, Doncaster Rovers, Millwall, Fulham, and Aston Villa. The final will be the third meeting between the sides this term after a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park in December and a 5-2 victory at the Etihad earlier this month.
City is seeking an eighth triumph in the competition in their history, having first lifted the trophy in 1904. Pep Guardiola has previously lifted the FA Cup twice, first in 2018/19 and then 2022/23. The stakes are high for both teams as they prepare for the final.
It was a day when the FA Cup romantics could see the script for Nuno Espírito Santo and Nottingham Forest, something to further embellish the manager’s hero status and the club’s finest season in at least 30 years. It was one when Pep Guardiola and Manchester City refused to entertain it.
City led from the second minute through Rico Lewis’s second goal of the season, and when Josko Gvardiol thumped home a header on 51 minutes shortly after a glaring miss by Anthony Elanga, it felt over. That Forest were repeatedly on the wrong side of the finest of margins only deepened their pain.
Three times they rattled the woodwork, and when Taiwo Awoniyi completed the unhappy hat-trick towards the end, Forest knew it was not to be their day. Morgan Gibbs-White was denied twice by the frame of the goal – the first after a blockbuster volley with his weaker left foot; the second from a tight angle when he looked to have enough of an empty net to aim for.
It meant that City advanced from their seventh FA Cup semi-final in a row into a third successive final; they will play Crystal Palace on May 17, 2025. Like Forest, their attention will turn towards securing a top-five Premier League finish and Champions League qualification.
Guardiola, though, is close to his 19th trophy at City. It would not make up for a deeply underwhelming season. But it would certainly be something. Forest won at Wembley in the 2022 Championship playoff final, but you needed to go back to 1992 to find an appearance from them at the national stadium before that.
The contrast to City was vivid. This was their 11th Wembley game under Guardiola in the FA Cup alone, taking in semi-finals and finals. It was easy to believe that it was a grander adventure for the Forest fans, who packed out one half of the ground well before kick-off.
How they bellowed their pre-match song, red-and-white scarves everywhere. But if the City seats featured a significant number of empties, those present and correct could luxuriate in what followed, starting with Lewis’s opener and running through a first half in which they exerted a vice-like grip.
Guardiola’s approach at the outset flummoxed Nuno. The City manager set up with Savinho and Omar Marmoush as wide forwards; Lewis and Jack Grealish in central attacking midfield roles. Behind them, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic called the tune. Nico O’Reilly strode forward in eye-catching style from left-back.
City were always going to dominate possession, and Forest gasped after the Lewis goal, chasing shadows. One of Guardiola’s moves was to have his players break onto the ball at pace from deeper areas, looking to slice through Forest’s lines.
Forest struggled to contain the outstanding Kovacic, who was the architect of the breakthrough, stepping away from Gibbs-White and drilling a pass up to Lewis that went through the legs of the defensive midfielder, Danilo. The covering red shirts could not get close enough to Lewis, who fired low across Matz Sels into the corner.
City were in the mood to suffocate; to pass, pass, and pass; to showcase their comfort in possession. It was hard to remember Forest making a serious incursion into City territory. Nuno’s answer to his selection problems at right-back was to start the academy product, Zach Abbott, in the 18-year-old’s second senior game.
Forest introduced Elanga for the second period, and he side-footed wide from close range. Kovacic's shot hit Abbott and bobbled goalwards. Gvardiol rose imperiously to head home Marmoush’s corner. Gibbs-White unloaded a volley from Elanga’s centre onto the crossbar.
Gibbs-White dragged the finish across goal and against the far post. Awoniyi hit the same upright, and on the follow-up, Gibbs-White saw Ortega repel his acrobatic header. Only the hardest of hearts did not feel for Gibbs-White. Or Forest.
