Rico Lewis says FA Cup win would be ‘really important’ for Man City this season | OneFootball

Rico Lewis said Manchester City want to make up for their disappointing season by seeing off Crystal Palace and lifting the FA Cup.

City booked their place in next month’s final at Wembley with a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest after Lewis opened the scoring inside two minutes.

Josko Gvardiol extended City’s advantage in the second half before they rode their luck when Forest struck the woodwork on three occasions.

Pep Guardiola admitted that winning the FA Cup would not be enough to describe City’s season as a “success” on the day his side reached the final but were dethroned as Premier League champions.

But when asked if winning the competition for a second time in three years was important for City, Lewis said: “Yes, definitely.

“Everyone in that changing room likes winning trophies. Nobody in there doesn’t want to win an FA Cup or whatever competition we’re in.

“No matter what the competition, we always want to win it. So yes, it’s really important for us, especially this season.

“You never know what you’re going to get in a final. It’s a one-off game and we’ve just got to be concentrated on our game plan and everyone believe in each other.”

Fourth-placed City are 21 points behind Liverpool – who were crowned champions for a 20th time on Sunday following their 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham – in the league and one point clear of Chelsea and Forest, who also have a game in hand, in the race for the top five places and qualification for the Champions League.

Guardiola’s men will play four matches – starting with a home fixture against Wolves on Friday – before they return to Wembley next month to face Crystal Palace.

Lewis will hope his semi-final goal earns him a spot in the showpiece on May 17, with his start against Forest only his eighth for Guardiola this year.

Quizzed on how hard a season it has been for him, the 20-year-old added: “It is difficult. It has been a bit unlucky at certain stages of the season when you play in games and you don’t have everyone in the team. Some people are injured and you cannot play as you normally would do.

“The whole team is discombobulating, but it is part of football, and I said this even when it was going well.”

Forest defender Zach Abbott, like Lewis, is an academy graduate at his club. He was handed his FA Cup debut for the semi-final clash.

The 18-year-old said on his club’s website: “I had goosebumps at the start of the game. To hear everyone was chanting my name is what dreams are made of.

“I remember being sat in the stands with my dad when I was 15, watching the play-off final, and how happy I was to see the team get over the line. Unfortunately we couldn’t get over the line (against City).

“On another day it’s a completely different game. It could have been 2-1 and we’re on the front foot. So for me it was a bittersweet day.”