Manchester City’s European reign may have come to an end, but their domestic dominance remains intact. Despite a disappointing Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, City secured their place in the FA Cup final with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
Bernardo Silva’s late goal proved to be the difference at Wembley, as City showed resilience and character to bounce back from their midweek setback. The Portuguese playmaker’s strike was particularly poignant, given his missed penalty in the shootout loss to Madrid.
“It’s very happy after a very frustrating week for all of us,” Silva said. “The good thing is in football at Man City, you play every three days. Every three days you have the chance to put things right and now we have a chance to win another trophy.”
City’s victory keeps their hopes of a back-to-back domestic double alive. They are now just one win away from securing the FA Cup for the eighth time, while Pep Guardiola can extend his trophy haul to 16 since joining the club.
However, Guardiola expressed his frustration over the decision to make City play on Saturday, just days after their Champions League commitments. “I don’t understand how we survived today. It’s unacceptable to play today,” he said. “I just want to protect my players. It’s unacceptable, it’s common sense.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal have seized the initiative in the Premier League title race with a 2-0 win against Wolves. Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard scored late in each half to give the Gunners a one-point lead over City, who have a game in hand.
Arsenal’s victory was a timely response to their recent setbacks, including a defeat to Aston Villa and Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich. “It was a tough week for us,” said Odegaard. “But we had to keep going.”
In the relegation battle, Burnley boosted their survival hopes with a 4-1 rout of Sheffield United. Vincent Kompany’s team is now within three points of safety, while Sheffield United moved closer to relegation.
