Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City LIVE: Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol goals send City into FA Cup final
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s side peak at the right time to remain on course for silverware
Manchester City booked their spot in the FA Cup final with a 2-0 win over a spirited Nottingham Forest side at Wembley.
Forest were on the back foot from the off as the occasion threatened to overwhelm them, with Rico Lewis firing City ahead inside the opening two minutes.
They improved after the restart but Josko Gvardiol’s thumping header shortly after half-time meant Nuno Espirito Santo’s men had a mountain to climb, and despite hitting the woodwork three times - twice through Morgan Gibbs-White - they were unable to find their way back into the game.
Victory puts Manchester City into a third successive FA Cup final and Pep Guardiola’s side will face Crystal Palace at Wembley in the showpiece on 17 May. The same day they were dethroned as Premier League champions by Liverpool, who stormed past Tottenham 5-1 in the top flight, the seven-time FA Cup champions ensured they still have a chance of silverware this season.
Follow all of the latest from the FA Cup semi-final with our live blog below:
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
41 mins: There have been moments of drama in this game, but it’s feeling more like a City training session at the moment. Forest are lacking fight and enthusiasm.
The crowd’s a bit quiet too. It’s only 1-0, and there’s at least another 45 minutes to play, but you wouldn’t know it from the atmosphere.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
39 mins: City press again, with Savinho - a livewire so far today - attempting another shot. Dominguez throws himself at it to hook clear on the edge of the box. Murillo boots away another ball from countryman Savinho as City dominate proceedings once more.
CHANCE! Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
35 mins: Better from Forest! Wood chests down the ball to Gibbs-White, who runs forward and lays it off for Hudson-Odoi on the right side of the box. He squares it to Wood but a firm challenge yards from goal puts a stop to that.
Offside anyway.
Gibbs-White collides with O’Reilly. A bit more spirit from the red shirts.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
32 mins: Forest look a bit more promising, but Gibbs-White’s attempt to set up Hudson-Odoi on the left wing comes to naught as the offside flag goes up.
A quieter spell now as City dominate the ball once again. Savinho feints and jinks into the box but Murillo is in the way, and tries to gee up the Forest fans as they win a goal kick.
CLOSE! Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
28 mins: Nunes darts into space down the right but his cross is cleared by Abbott in the box.
But City break again, O’Reilly rolling off Danilo, and he takes a shot on the spin from 30 yards out. It rolls wide! What a goal that would have been.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
26 mins: Wood wins a foul off Dias for a Forest free-kick, deep in City’s half. Murillo takes. Milenkovic knocks it down across goal but the flag goes up.
Forest are getting a little bit more of a foothold in this game, with a sustained period in City’s half.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
23 mins: Forest make a rare counter as Wood wins the ball near the half-way line. It’s a bit messy and Gvardiol eventually manages to clear off Anderson; it looked like the Forest man was offside anyway.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
20 mins: Anderson tries to break for Forest but Kovacic, who is just bossing it in midfield, robs him. Bernardo Silva attempts to lay it off for Savinho in the box. Toffolo boots it away.
Corner to City, Abbott eventually clears, but Silva recycles it and Sels comes out to collect.
Has the importance of the occasion got to Forest? It certainly feels like it.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
17 mins: City have had 88 per cent of possession so far.
Marmoush skies an attempt over the bar, to jeers from the Forest fans behind the goal. Grealish was instrumental in setting that up, on his first start since 2 April.
Nunes breaks free on the right but is eventually chased down.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
14 mins: Marmoush sends in a free-kick on the right but can’t beat the first man. Poor.
It feels like City have got one or two extra men on the pitch at the moment. Any time Forest try to counter, there’s a blue shirt or three in the way to dispossess and press forward again.
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