Bernardo Silva fired Manchester City back into the FA Cup final as the Portugal midfielder’s late strike sealed the holders’ 1-0 win against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side were second-best for long periods of the semi-final, but Chelsea wasted a string of chances before Silva delivered the knockout blow six minutes from full-time.

Shaken by their Champions League quarter-final loss against Real Madrid on penalties in midweek, City took a while to shake off the gloom from the end of their treble bid.

They were hampered by the absence of Norway striker Erling Haaland after he suffered a knock against Real, with Julian Alvarez unable to make an impact as his replacement.

City were bailed out by Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson’s profligacy, and Guardiola will hope the hard-fought success provides a timely lift as they chase a Premier League and FA Cup double.

City face Manchester United or Coventry, who were set to play yesterday, in the final on 25 May, and will retain the Premier League title if they win their last six games.

It will be City’s 13th final in the competition, and potentially a repeat of last year’s 2-1 win over United in the Wembley Manchester derby.

- Nampa/AFP