Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola hailed as the 'madman' whose thirst for glory 'changed how I see football' as FA Cup triumph brings up 20th trophy

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Antoine Semenyo hailed Manchester City's "madman" manager Pep Guardiola after the club secured an eighth Emirates FA Cup triumph with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday at Wembley.

Highlights: Sublime Semenyo wins FA Cup for Man City

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Semenyo delivered the decisive moment of quality as City edged a final that struggled for rhythm and attacking intent for long periods.

The contest appeared to be drifting towards extra time when the Ghana international produced the breakthrough in the 72nd minute to separate the two sides, guiding a superb right-footed flicked finish beyond Robert Sanchez.

The strike ultimately proved enough to secure another trophy for Guardiola's side, with victory completing a domestic cup double for City following their Carabao Cup triumph over Arsenal earlier in the campaign.

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It also ended a run of FA Cup final disappointments after losses against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

Chelsea, meanwhile, were left to endure further Wembley heartbreak, with defeat marking a fourth consecutive loss in an FA Cup final and ensured interim head coach Calum McFarlane would finish the season without silverware.

For Semenyo, opting to complete a £62.5 million signing from Bournemouth in January has proved inspired, and the winger paid tribute to Guardiola following his player-of-the-match performance.

"He's a madman," Semenyo told TNT Sports. "Listen, we all love him. He's so passionate. You can see he wants to win trophies, and what he's done for the club's been amazing.

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"So I'm so grateful to be here. So grateful he gets to coach me, make me a better player, and yeah, he's just a top man.

"It's been hard work, to be honest. Learning a lot, and we've got top pros around me, a top coach. And yeah, it's been a great four or five months, and long may it continue.

"It shows hard work pays off at the end of the day. Whatever happens in your life, it doesn't mean it's the end. So you just have to keep working hard and get your opportunity."

Semenyo reflects on 'cheeky' FA Cup final goal and working under 'mad man' Guardiola

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Including the Community Shield, City have now won 20 trophies under the Catalan in 10 years - an average of two a season - and such pedigree under the famous Arch even led to the man himself questioning in the lead-up to Saturday's final whether Wembley should have a lounge named after him.

For Bernardo Silva, who brings his own glittering City career to an end next week, the influence ingrained in him by his manager cannot truly be measured.

When asked by TNT Sports how much he owes his own success at the Etihad Stadium to Guardiola, Bernardo said: "A lot, a lot. He changed the way I see football. Everything that we won is probably the main reason that we did it. So I owe him a lot.

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"There's now eight or nine days until the end. So every day it feels a bit more emotional. Two games to go for me and it's going to be special.

"It would mean a lot [to win the Premier League]. It's not in our hands. So our job is to, Wednesday, make our job and put a bit of pressure on them to make them win the game to be champions. But we're in a tough position.

"This club gave me much more than I ever hoped for or dreamed. I'm just really grateful for all the moments that I lived with all my team-mates, with the fans, with the staff. It's really beautiful to end my journey here this way."

Stones: I've never seen Pep so angry

Another member of the Manchester City squad, who was an unused substitute at Wembley, was John Stones.

The 31-year-old was visibly emotional as he was encouraged to come forward alongside Bernardo - against his own volition - to hold aloft the trophy in front of the Royal Box.

Stones, who will move on at the end of the season, added a third FA Cup triumph to his six Premier League titles so far, UEFA Champions League success, five League Cups, two Community Shields, a Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup.

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The Barnsley-born defender revealed to TNT Sports that Guardiola was unimpressed following an opening 45 minutes in which one shot from an acute angle from Erling Haaland easily saved by Sanchez was the closest City came to breaking the deadlock.

When asked what Guardiola's message was to his players at the interval, Stones said: "He was angry to be fair. I've never seen him as angry as that. He was passionate and he just wanted us to go out and show the fight and hunger to go out and win a final.

"He speaks a lot about how we sometimes play against ourselves and we were flat in that first half. He wanted to see a willingness to run and press to put them on the back foot. He thought our high press was a little bit off.

"I'll miss his passion and the standards he sets without even knowing. You go into training and always try to better yourself, learn and compete for your place. The winning mentality is like nothing I've ever seen."

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