Thomas Tuchel laid the trap and Manchester City walked straight into it, ending their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple. Outfoxed tactically, Pep Guardiola could not complain about losing to his friend for the first time in six matches. Chelsea were worthy winners and deserve their place in the FA Cup final after beating City with a deft counterattacking goal from Hakim Ziyech.
This was no smash and grab from Chelsea. When City return to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final next weekend, they will be glad to find Tottenham there rather than Tuchel’s side. Clever and controlled, Chelsea outplayed City for long stretches and will be confident of winning their first trophy under Tuchel when they meet Leicester or Southampton in the final. For City it was an evening to forget, with their disappointment compounded by Kevin De Bruyne limping off with an ankle injury at the start of the second half.
