- A Chelsea incident became a post-match talking point
- Man City beat the Blues 1-0 at Wembley
- Calum McFarlane was unhappy with the decision
Manchester City’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea was settled by Antoine Semenyo’s second-half back-heel, but the aftermath also brought another layer of debate around a key Wembley incident.
Pep Guardiola’s side secured a 1-0 victory to lift the FA Cup. Antoine Semenyo scored in the 72nd minute from Erling Haaland’s cutback to seal the deal at Wembley.
The result gave the Sky Blues another major trophy and kept their season moving towards a possible domestic treble.
However, the Chelsea camp were left frustrated by one moment that went against them before the winning goal.
Calum McFarlane makes Chelsea penalty claim after Man City win
Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane claimed his side should have been awarded a penalty during their FA Cup final defeat to Man City.
The incident involved Jorrel Hato going down inside the City box after a challenge from Abdukodir Khusanov. Regardless, Darren England waved away Chelsea’s appeal, and VAR decided not to overturn the decision.
“The Hato and Khusanov collision was a penalty. Jorrel gets in front. If it’s anywhere else on the pitch, it’s a foul,” McFarlane told the press.
McFarlane also claimed that he received no explanation from the officials. Likewise, the interim manager believes that the Blues have not been getting much luck from similar calls recently.
Khusanov’s Chelsea redemption came in a final
Chelsea were his first opponents when Khusanov debuted for Man City in January 2025. The Uzbek defender started at centre-back for the Carabao Cup winners.
However, it was a nightmare start for the central asian centre-back, whose weak header back to Ederson led to Noni Madueke’s third-minute opener.
Khusanov was then soon booked for a foul on Cole Palmer. Despite Man City’s win that day, Guardiola had to step in to protect the young defender.
Regardless, the 22-year-old has improved twofold following his debut at the Etihad. While Marc Guehi was the star centre-back on Saturday, Khusanov was still close second on the pitch.
City found a way to win without full control
It was not a dominant performance from Guardiola’s side, with the Catalan manager feeling off after the win.
The final was very tight with only one goal separating the two sides. The Citizens also had to keep their defences up following the Semenyo strike.
Regardless, the FA Cup winners survived the dangerous moments and avoided slipping up in the last minute. With margins usually defining tight finals, the City squad did their job well this weekend.
