Manchester City's FA Cup triumph showcases an ability to keep winning, even during an underwhelming season

WHAT A FLICK BY SEMENYO TO PUT CITY AHEAD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/AJgCyjQo2R

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 16, 2026

Semenyo has almost singlehandedly buoyed City with his instant contributions, adding dimension to an attack that had become one-note once Haaland's dip in form was hard to ignore. He was not the first wintertime panic buy City had made in recent years – the fact that Liverpool had overtaken them early in last season's title race means the team's owners have spent roughly $600 million on transfers in the last three windows, some plans panning out better than others. Omar Marmoush, a fellow starter on Saturday and someone who joined City a year before Semenyo did with the hopes of making a similar impact, did not make much of an impact before he was yanked at halftime and fellow January 2025 addition Nico Gonzalez has not made much of a dent in the team, either.

Between Semenyo and center back Marc Guehi, who also joined midseason and started on Saturday, a little bit of practice in last-ditch transfer market efforts has gone a long way for City. From an attacking standpoint specifically, Semenyo and an in-form Haaland – whenever he returns – should liven up City's trophy haul attempt next season, especially when adding France international Rayan Cherki to the equation.

The new additions have hit their stride in time to experience City's ability to overcome the obstacles in front of them, Haaland a prime example on Saturday. It was far from a standout outing from the forward but even then, one of his 12 touches was the well-timed assist to Semenyo's goal. Such is the mark of a talented and experienced player – at the end of his fourth season with City, Haaland is familiar with the cadence and demands of winning, even without being the star of the show, his outing at Wembley on Saturday a perfect embodiment of City's season.

Pep Guardiola's side have completed a domestic double in a season that was essentially designed as a rebuild, all while a sense of malaise seems to permeate for City roughly 10 days after a surprise draw at Everton that will likely see them fall short of winning the title. The bar is exceedingly high for Guardiola's City, even if it is their own doing but as they collected their 16th major trophy in the coach's 10th season with the club, it is hard to call them abject failures. There are ebbs and flows in the life cycle of dynastic teams but even this lackluster City are still keeping the legacy of dominance alive, doing so longer than many may have expected of them – or any team, for that matter.