Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City FA Cup Report

Scorers: Lewis 2’, Gvardiol 51’

Manchester City booked their place in a 14th FA Cup final with a composed and dominant 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Goals from Rico Lewis and Joško Gvardiol secured a seventh consecutive semi-final triumph for the Cityzens, who will now face Crystal Palace in next month’s showpiece final.

First Half – Fast Start Sets the Tone

Making their 28th appearance at the new Wembley, Manchester City wasted no time asserting their authority. Within just two minutes, Mateo Kovačić powered through the heart of the Forest midfield to find Rico Lewis, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

City’s early pressure was relentless, with Jack Grealish causing constant problems down the flanks. In contrast, Forest struggled to find their footing, registering just 23% possession by the midway point of the half. They thought they had grabbed a lifeline when Chris Wood tapped in from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cutback, but the offside flag halted any celebrations. City’s dominance ensured they went into HT with a deserved 1-0 lead, while Forest had failed to register a single shot.

Second Half – Gvardiol’s Header Seals the Deal

Much like the first half, City came out firing after the interval. Just six minutes into the second period, Omar Marmoush delivered a pinpoint corner, and Joško Gvardiol rose highest to power a header past Matz Sels, doubling City’s lead and putting one foot firmly in the final.

City could have extended their lead further as Marmoush himself went close, but Sels produced a fine save. Despite City’s control, Forest mounted a spirited late fightback, striking the woodwork three times through Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi. However, their efforts went unrewarded, and Guardiola’s men professionally closed out the game to secure the victory.

What It Means

Manchester City’s victory not only prolongs their FA Cup ambitions but also keeps their hopes alive for another domestic trophy under Pep Guardiola. Nottingham Forest’s courageous cup run ends at the semi-final stage, but they can hold their heads high after a battling second-half performance that almost made the favourites sweat.

Key Facts

• Manchester City have now reached seven consecutive FA Cup semi-finals, winning all of them.
• Nottingham Forest failed to register a shot on target until after the hour mark.
• Rico Lewis scored his first-ever FA Cup goal for Manchester City.

For more info on this game, you may also visit:
Fixtures – Emirates FA Cup – Competitions | The Football Association