Chelsea’s dream of salvaging a disappointing season with a trophy was dashed as Bernardo Silva’s late goal secured a 1-0 victory for Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal. Mauricio Pochettino’s side, despite promising spells, ultimately fell short due to their lack of clinical finishing, with striker Nicolas Jackson enduring a particularly frustrating performance.

The Senegalese forward squandered multiple golden opportunities to put Chelsea ahead, most notably in the 30th minute when he failed to convert a one-on-one chance after rounding the goalkeeper. Jackson’s woes continued in the second half, as he saw successive attempts thwarted by City’s goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, including a low shot and a close-range header.

Despite Jackson’s struggles, Chelsea’s efforts to find a breakthrough were in vain, with Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, and Noni Madueke unable to capitalize on their team’s smart build-up play. As missed chances piled up, Silva capitalized on a defensive lapse to score the decisive goal, condemning Chelsea to another disappointing Wembley exit.

As the dust settles on Chelsea’s FA Cup campaign, questions linger over Jackson’s performance and the team’s inability to convert promising opportunities into goals. With their trophy hopes dashed, Mauricio Pochettino’s men must regroup and refocus for the challenges ahead, aiming to salvage pride in the remaining fixtures of the season.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Djordje Petrovic (7/10):

Pulled off a couple of good saves in the second half after a quiet first 45 minutes. A reliable presence in general.

Malo Gusto (7/10):

Another strong display for the young right-back as he dug in with solid tackles and charged up field to link up with Madueke.

Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):

Was stable in possession and helped keep the defence in shape.

Thiago Silva (7/10):

Helped frustrate City with some excellent clearances and passes.

Marc Cucurella (6/10):

Too slow to close down on one or two occasions – including for the goal – but made some good interventions and tried to overlap Gallagher on the wing.

Midfield

Moises Caicedo (5/10):

A bit reckless with his tackles even after being shown a yellow card late in the first half.

Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

Fought hard in the middle of the pitch but his passing was not up to scratch.

Cole Palmer (7/10):

The true leader of this Chelsea team with his excellent all-round play and determination to win possession and get quick moves up and running. Unfortunate not to score.

Attack

Conor Gallagher (6/10):

Tried to win the ball high up the field and kickstart attacks but not a lot worked in his favour.

Nicolas Jackson (3/10):

So tame with his finishing as he wasted numerous chances. A huge opportunity in the first half saw him cut back inside and fail to get a shot away, and then he squandered two more at the start of the second period. Just looked uncomfortable every time he got on the ball.

Noni Madueke (6/10):

Tried to act as a direct threat with his dribbles and shots but City cut him out well.

Subs & Manager

Mykhailo Mudryk (5/10):

Did not get much of a chance to create danger in his 10 minutes on the field.

Axel Disasi (6/10):

Slotted in at right-back for the end of the game.

Ben Chilwell (5/10):

Had a good chance to create something as he charged down the left wing but took too long and his cross was blocked.

Raheem Sterling (N/A):

Barely had a touch of the ball in his brief time on the field.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

His team were set up solidly defensively and did well to keep City quiet for the majority of the game but the weaknesses of Jackson, Gallagher and Madueke hold them back significantly.