Manchester City displayed their big-game experience by brushing aside a luckless Nottingham Forest to reach a third successive FA Cup final.
Pep Guardiola’s side set up a Wembley showpiece on 17 May against Crystal Palace at the same time as they relinquished a four-year hold on the Premier League trophy after Liverpool beat Tottenham to become champions on Sunday.
City were in control from the first whistle on a balmy day in London and will now aim to end a disappointing season on a high by lifting the famous cup trophy for the eighth time in their history.
With their supporters outnumbered in the stands, the City players silenced the Forest following inside just two minutes as the impressive Mateo Kovacic found Rico Lewis on the edge of the box and the 20-year-old drilled an unerring finish into the bottom corner.
Forest found it difficult to settle in the opening period and City sniffed more opportunities – Omar Marmoush exchanging passes with Jack Grealish before firing over, while Nico O’Reilly dragged an effort wide after showcasing some neat footwork in the build-up.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men should have levelled seconds after the restart, though, when Callum Hudson-Odoi rolled a pass across the box, but Anthony Elanga, on his 23rd birthday, sent his first-time effort wide of the post from eight yards.
City made the former Manchester United winger pay dearly for that miss as six minutes into the second half they doubled their lead – centre-back Josko Gvardiol rising highest to power home a header from Omar Marmoush’s corner.
Forest attempted to claw themselves back into the contest and struck the woodwork an incredible three times. Morgan Gibbs-White rattled the crossbar with a stunning volley, before hitting the post from a tight angle after going round goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi also clipped an effort against the post and once Ortega kept out Nicolas Dominguez’s header at full stretch from another opportunity, Forest knew it was not going to be their day as City booked a Wembley return.
