[24/25 FA컵 4강 리뷰] 웸블리로 돌아간 맨시티, 노팅엄 꺾고 3년 연속 FA컵 결승행

In partnership with

Manchester City F.C.

·27 April 2025

[24/25 FA컵 4강 리뷰] 웸블리로 돌아간 맨시티, 노팅엄 꺾고 3년 연속 FA컵 결승행

맨체스터 시티(맨시티)가 3년 연속으로 FA컵 결승 진출에 성공했다.

맨시티는 28일(한국시각) 노팅엄 포레스트를 상대한 2024/25 잉글랜드 FA컵 4강 경기에서 리코 루이스와 요슈코 그바르디올이 한 골씩 터뜨리며 2-0 완승을 거뒀다. 이날 승리한 맨시티는 3년 연속으로 FA컵 결승 진출에 성공하며 올 시즌 우승 트로피를 추가할 가능성이 이어갈 수 있게 됐다.

OneFootball Videos

이날 맨시티는 루이스, 그바르디올이 전후반 득점했으며 시종일관 우세한 경기력을 선보이며 무실점 두 골 차 승리를 거뒀다.

FA컵 결승전에 오른 맨시티는 내달 크리스탈 팰리스를 상대로 웸블리 스타디움에서 우승에 도전한다.

경기 내용 재구성

맨시티는 이날 킥오프 후 단 2분이 채 되지 않은 시점에 선제골을 터뜨리며 앞서갔다. 중원 깊숙한 진영에서 미드필더 마테오 코바치치가 상대 선수 한 명을 따돌리며 루이스에게 패스를 연결했다.

코바치치의 패스를 이어받은 루이스는 노팅엄의 문전 하단을 그대로 꿰뚫는 감각적인 슈팅으로 골망을 가르며 맨시티에 리드를 안겼다.

A dominant City enjoyed more than 80% possession in the first 20 minutes, with Kovacic in particular driving us on from the heart of midfield.

Jack Grealish and Omar Marmoush were the beneficiaries of much of that hard work further back, linking up to create several half chances from range.

The only frustration for Pep Guardiola and our travelling fans was that we weren’t more than one goal up.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s surprise package hit us on the break with the pace of Callum Hudson-Odoi in last month’s Premier League meeting and it was clear for all to see they had planned for something similar this time around.

City remained conscious of that as the first half wore on but it was our attacking talent who looked the most threatening – even without unduly troubling Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.

The half-time introduction of Anthony Elanga appeared to give our opponents renewed energy and the substitute could easily have levelled the scores with his very first touch.

Set free down the left a minute into the second half, Hudson-Odoi squared for Elanga to poke wide of Ortega Moreno’s near post.

Instead of spurring Forest on, that warning sign lit a fire in City bellies to double our advantage within minutes.

Even before the goal, we had come within inches of another when Mateo Kovacic’s half-blocked volley rolled towards the line only for Sels to stick out a leg and flick it clear.

We weren’t to be denied from the resulting set piece, with Josko Gvardiol powering a header home from Omar Marmoush’s whipped corner.

Marmoush thought he’d scored the third himself when he struck a left-footed effort powerfully at goal, but Sels shot up a hand to turn it over in the nick of time.

Forest’s influential captain Morgan Gibbs-White almost pulled his side back into the game moments later, sweetly hitting a volley that all at Wembley could only watch as it clattered the crossbar.

Gibbs-White, a creati wasn’t done there, hitting the post from a tight angle after pouncing on a loose ball.

An end-to-end period followed, with Savinho and Nico O'Reilly denied only by last ditch sliding tackles in the Forest penalty area.

The woodwork and Stefan Ortega's strong wrists then combined to all but end Forest hopes in the same flurry, with Awoniyi flicking the ball onto the post before our German goalkeeper bounced to his feet to parry a Gibbs-White to safety.

In the end, it was a magnificent team performance that was rightly lapped up by the travelling City fans as the final whistle sounded.

Teams

CITY XI: Ortega, Nunes, Dias (C), Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Lewis, Kovacic, Bernardo, Savinho (Foden 81), Grealish (Gundogan 71), Marmoush (Doku 81)

Subs: Ederson, Nico, De Bruyne, Reis, Akanji, Khusanov

NOTTINGHAM FOREST XI: Sels, Abbott (Sosa 82), Milenkovic, Murillo, Toffolo, Danilo (Elanga 46), Dominguez (Jota 82), Anderson (Sangare 71), Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White (C), Wood (Awoniyi 71)

Subs: Miguel, Morato, Moreno, Boly

Man of the Match

Rico Lewis - Pep Guardiola calls the Academy graduate a coach's dream due to his ability to pick up any information the boss gives him.

This performance, in the heart of midfield rather than at full-back, perhaps stands alone as his best in a City shirt.

His goal, less than two minutes after kick-off, was the perfect demonstration of a brave midfielder willing to venture into tight spaces.

Once there, his close control was perfect to give him the room to shot for the bottom corner.

He remained a driving force from then on, bursting beyond his colleagues on several occasions to provide a vital attacking outlet.

Quality Kova

On marathon day in both London and Manchester, Mateo Kovacic put in an equally exhausting day’s work in the middle of the park here.

The Croatian international set the tone by driving into space for the opener and threading a delightful pass for Rico Lewis.

He went from strength to strength from that point on, sparing no energy in and out of possession.

Always neat and tidy with the ball at his feet, the No.8 mostly made his mark by biting into tackles quickly to win it back on the rare occasions Forest threatened to break out.

A man used to the big occasion, the midfielder lit up one of football’s grandest stages in this one.

Pep reaction

"Seven semi-finals in a row, three finals speaks so highly about this generation of players and this Club in itself.

"We are really pleased that we are there. This season has not been good because what defines it is the Premier League.

"Since I have been here always we have been there [in the league] but we try to avoid the damage and qualify for the Champions League.

"We have five days to play a team like Wolves who are playing really good.

"We have four finals in the league and then unbelievably pleased to play Crystal Palace here. Yesterday you saw how good they are."

WATCH: Early goal helped us with our tempo – Pep

Lewis reaction

"Obviously I’m over the moon with my goal. It’s just a position that I like to play, it’s different to playing as a full-back and then coming inside, you know, you’re always inside.

"Today was a tough game, but you know we showed a kind of different side to our game where we can survive and get through it at the end."

WATCH: Lewis: Winning the FA Cup would be really important for us