MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 CHELSEA

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Manchester City booked their place in consecutive FA Cup finals thanks to a tired yet determined performance against a wasteful Chelsea side, and a redemption goal from the brilliant Bernardo Silva.

Bernardo, who missed a spot kick as City crashed out of the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid in midweek, slammed home from close range after Kevin de Bruyne's ball in from the left defected to him in the box.

It came in the final few minutes of a game of few chances for City, who understandably looked lethargic after going the distance against one of the best teams in Europe less than 72 hours earlier.

When compared to previous FA Cup semi finals, Pep Guardiola made a surprising lack of changes, with the only notable absentees being Ruben Dias (who came on at half time) Erling Haaland (who was missing due to a minor muscular issue) and Ederson (who never plays in the FA Cup anyway.)

Whilst this team will have had the most momentum, there were clearly some tired legs out there by the time the game finished, so it could've been more sensible for the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and Rico Lewis to start the game from the off.

But as it was, City got the win over the line, and despite riding their luck at times, they probably deserved to progress to the final, where they'll face either Coventry City or Manchester United in the final.

This was thanks to some poor finishing from Chelsea's forwards, however, and most particularly Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson, who squandered numerous big chances in front of goal.

Stefan Ortega-Moreno saved twice from Jackson in the second half in quick succession, and did well to show him wide after a golden opportunity in the first half, with the German goalkeeper, Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker (and some of Jackson's own ineptitude) combining efforts to ensure the 22 year old didn't get a shot off.

Phil Foden had a similar opportunity in the first half after pouncing on an eye of the needle through pass from De Bruyne

There were also a few nearly moments for Chelsea - where their build up play tore City's tired defence to shreds, but the final ball from the likes of Ben Chilwell, Connor Gallagher, Malo Gusto, Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer was lacking in the decisive moment.

Nevertheless, City will be happy to have beaten Chelsea, despite not performing as well as they have done recently, as the perfect hangover cure post Real Madrid.

They now face local rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final for the second consecutive year, after Erik Ten Hag's side scraped past Championship side Coventry City on spot kicks after throwing away a 3-0 lead late on.

A continuation of a tactic from Madrid - in which we saw Foden and De Bruyne start together in the centre of midfield - also seemed to bear fruit for City, as both players got plenty of touches of the ball and they didn't see themselves any more exposed defensively than usual.

Other than the final at the end of May, City's focus is now fully on the Premier League, with the Blues knowing that winning all of their next six games will secure them their fourth title in the row, regardless of how well Arsenal and Liverpool may do.

Their next game is away at Brighton this upcoming Thursday night, which will be a tough game for City against an opposition who play good football that can hurt Pep Guardiola's side.

However, the confidence will still lie within the squad that they can outperform the Seagulls with 5 days of rest and win the match, to build up momentum again after their Champions League disappointment.

Here are the player ratings from the win against Chelsea to book our place in the FA Cup final:

Ortega-Moreno - 7.5/10 - Made a few decent saves to keep City in the game before Bernardo's late winner, and distributed well from the back.

Walker - 5.5/10 - Pretty sloppy with possession at times, as he was often guilty of overplaying at the back. This isn't fully unexpected, due to his recent injury lay off, but does come somewhat as a surprise after his excellent defensive performance up against Vinicius Junior and Madrid in midweek.

Stones - 6/10 - Like against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace, Stones wasn't fully at the races, as he struggled against the speed and physicality of Jackson. Wasn't given the chance for redemption in the second half as he was replaced at the break, which all City fans will hope isn't injury related.

Akanji - 8/10 - Really strong and aggressive at the back, as the Swiss international continues his remarkable season for the Blues to date.

Ake - 8.5/10 - Player of the match for me. In his first appearance in almost a month, Ake was remarkably solid at the back, keeping the ball well in the first half when others weren't and defending his flank flawlessly throughout.

Rodri - 6.5/10 - Gave the ball away uncharacteristically quite a few times more than usual, but can be let off due to giving his everything for City in the last few weeks on the pitch, as he looked understandably tired. He's got a five day rest before City's next match, which should be the perfect amount of time to reset.

Bernardo - 7/10 - Gave the ball away a lot early on, looking physically and mentally tired. But he improved a lot throughout the game, and finished off his chance clinically to put his midweek ghosts behind him as quickly as he possibly could have done.

Foden - 6.5/10 - A fairly quiet game for the 23 year old, who wasn't really able to create a lot. He linked up well with De Bruyne in central areas, however, and could've scored had Djorde Petrovic not done well to show him wide when in front of goal.

De Bruyne - 6.5/10 - Like many of his teammates, De Bruyne looked tired throughout the game, as he admitted himself after the full time whistle. But he popped up late on to provide the bit of creativity City needed to edge over the finish line.

Grealish - 8/10 - Started out poorly, giving the ball away a lot by his standards. But City's record signing improved to the point in which he was City's best player for much of the time he was on the pitch, and we can only hope the reason he was substituted wasn't because of Moises Caicedo's high tackle on him just moments before he was replaced.

Alvarez - 7/10 - There were some good moments for City's number 19, particularly in the first half, with him looking quicker and fresher than the rest of City's players, due to him only playing half an hour in midweek. He was a bit poorer in the second half, however, and didn't get involved much with the build up, something Haaland is often criticised for.

Substitutes:

Dias - 7.5/10 - Played well off the bench at the heart of City's defence, duelling for the ball and dealing with the threat of Jackson and Chelsea's other forwards well.

Doku - 8/10 - Excellent cameo from the thrilling winger, who looked extremely sharp carrying the ball and taking men on, with his decisive moment coming with his excellent reverse pass to De Bruyne in the build up to the goal.

Bobb - 6.5/10 - Showed some magnificent touches and showcased his supreme technical ability in his brief period on the pitch.