Guardiola: City Are in Better Shape Than Last Season After FA Cup Glory

Guardiola wants Man City to use FA Cup win to push Arsenal in title race

Antoine Semenyo’s back-flick secured City’s first FA Cup since 2023 and a domestic double this season.

City sit two points behind Arsenal with two games left and need the Gunners to drop points to win the title...

Pep Guardiola is hoping Manchester City can turn their FA Cup final victory over Chelsea into the spark they need to pull off a late Premier League title push.

City lifted the FA Cup for the first time since 2023 after Antoine Semenyo scored with a clever back-flick in the second half at Wembley on Saturday.

The 1-0 win completed a domestic double for City, who had already beaten Arsenal in the League Cup final back in March.

City can now turn their attention to the final two league games as they try to chase down leaders Arsenal.

Arsenal are still favorites to win the title. They’ll clinch it if they beat Burnley on Monday and then get a result at Crystal Palace on May 24.

City sit second, two points behind Arsenal, and are ready to take advantage if Mikel Arteta’s side slips up.

If City win away at Bournemouth and beat Aston Villa at home on the final day, they’ll take the title as long as Arsenal drop points in either game.

With that in mind, Guardiola kept the celebrations brief after collecting the 20th trophy of his 10-year reign at Wembley.

“Home - not even one beer,” he said of halting the party in City's dressing room.

“Next Monday, after Aston Villa, we're going to celebrate with the women's team with a parade in Manchester, but no, we do not have time now.

“We have only three days (before Bournemouth). Chelsea had seven days to prepare for the final. We had three days and yesterday was a nightmare.

“We spent literally six hours getting from Manchester to here. The trains are a little bit of a problem in this country. Six hours!”

Guardiola has won the title with City six times in the last eight years, so he knows it would take something extraordinary to take it off Arsenal now.

Even so, he believes City are in a stronger position than they were a year ago, when they ended the 2024-25 season without a trophy.

Tastes good 😁🏅 pic.twitter.com/x76D2EiHd1

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 16, 2026

He pointed to the impact of January signings Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi from Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, as well as the progress of Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nico O’Reilly. For Guardiola, that shows City have the pieces in place to challenge again next season.

“I took time to click something. I missed something during the process. We had the feeling in the last few months that we had some stability with the team that we maybe didn't have in the past,” he said.

“There were a lot of new players, injured players. Sometimes you need a little more time. But the highest competition doesn't wait.

“In the Champions League, we lost to a really, really good opponent in Real Madrid. But in the rest of the competitions we behaved extraordinarily. The future is bright.

“I know the guys. I know how they feel, the commitment for the club. I'm pretty sure we will be there for the next years.”

Highlights from our FA Cup final victory over Chelsea 🎬🏆 pic.twitter.com/vwqN5v8tya

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 17, 2026