Manchester City reached the Emirates FA Cup Final for a third successive season with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley.
Rico Lewis' early strike and Josko Gvardiol's second-half header were enough for Pep Guardiola's men, who will now face Crystal Palace on 17 May.
The seven-time Emirates FA Cup champions dominated a largely uneventful first 45 minutes after Lewis' goal and were able to see the game out after Gvardiol doubled their lead just six minutes after the restart.
After a slow start, Forest pushed City all the way with a strong second-half performance but were unable to find a way through despite hitting the woodwork on three separate occasions, as their wait for a first FA Cup Final appearance since 1991 continues.
City made the perfect start to take the lead inside two minutes. Mateo Kovacic was not closed down as he dribbled forward inside the Forest half, before riding a tackle and finding Lewis who drilled a shot hard and low past Matz Sels from the edge of the box.
This angle of Rico Lewis' goal and celebration 🤩#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/jBBQGq9xTl
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 27, 2025
An electric start soon developed into a first half that offered few other chances for either side, with Omar Marmoush’s wayward effort from range the next sight of goal for City 15 minutes later.
Forest struggled to get a foothold in the game after their early setback, despite being roared on by their fans, though began to show glimpses of attacking threat towards the end of the first period.
It almost came perfectly together after the break when a fluid move released Callum Hudson-Odoi down the left but half time substitute Anthony Elanga put his effort wide from close range after connecting with the cross.
That early Forest foray opened up the game and City were next to see a sight of goal, but Sels was alive to deny Lewis his second of the game from a tight angle before the Belgian ‘keeper scrambled Kovacic’s rebound off the line with his foot.
The following corner yielded the crucial second for Pep Guardiola’s side, as Gvardiol rose highest in the box to head home Marmoush’s corner in emphatic fashion.
Joško Gvardiol with a bullet header for @ManCity 💪
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 27, 2025
The delivery from Omar Marmoush 👏#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/2ukvwcxBFT
The momentum was all with City and they almost had a third shortly after when Savinho powered into the box but his cross could not be turned home.
Sels was then called into action again to deny Marmoush from a tight angle as he sought to keep his side in the game.
Forest almost halved the deficit immediately after as Morgan Gibbs-White rattled a volley against the crossbar after a precise counter attack.
Elliot Anderson then dragged a shot wide of the target from just inside the box as Forest started to believe there was a way back into the contest.
The best chance then came a few minutes later as Gibbs-White seized on a loose pass at the back from City and rounded Stefan Ortega but his shot hit the post and rolled out.
Forest continued to knock at the door and came agonisingly close again when substitute Taiwo Awoniyi’s reflex rebound effort hit the post from a matter of yards out.
That proved Forest's final chance of the match as City saw out the rest of the game to ensure they would return to Wembley in three weeks' time.
