By Clare Lovell, Reuters
Manchester City's Portuguese midfielder #20 Bernardo Silva (centre right) celebrates with teammates on the pitch after the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in north west London on April 20, 2024. Manchester City won the game 1-0. Photo: GLYN KIRK
Holders Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 with a late Bernardo Silva goal to reach the FA Cup final after an absorbing end-to-end Wembley semi-final.
Silva sidefooted the ball home in the 84th minute after Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic parried a shot from former Blues midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
City will meet Manchester United or second-tier Coventry City, who play on Sunday, in the showpiece game on 25 May.
The result offered some consolation for Pep Guardiola's side, who were eliminated on penalties in the Champions League quarter-finals by Real Madrid in midweek.
Silva, who missed a penalty in the shootout against Real, said he was: "Very happy after a very frustrating week for all of us, for me personally.
"The good thing is in football, if you play at Man City you play every three days, so after two to three days, you have a chance for a bit of revenge and to put things right."
City are still on for a double, standing two points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea, whose last visit to Wembley ended in League Cup final defeat by a late Liverpool goal in extra time two months ago, squandered some of the best chances.
Senegalese Nicolas Jackson was particularly profligate.
He took the first shot on target in the eighth minute but it was easily collected by Stefan Ortega in the City goal.
Early in the second half, Jackson had two chances to put the ball away but Ortega intercepted both.
There were also opportunities for 21-year-old former City forward Cole Palmer, who scored four goals against Everton in the league last Monday, and for Noni Madueke.
A last-gasp free kick from substitute Mykhailo Mudryk sailed over the bar, summing up a miserable afternoon for Chelsea and their manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea have now been eliminated from six of their last eight FA Cup ties against Manchester City, including in the third round last season.
- This story was originally published by Reuters.