With Rico Lewis and Gvardiol scoring, Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the 2024/25 FA Cup semi-final and advanced to the final. Guardiola said that being able to advance to the final three times in a row has demonstrated the outstanding strength of this generation of players and the club.

Two minutes into the game, Kovacic passed the ball over the defense, and Rico Lewis at the top of the penalty area received the ball and scored a long shot, giving Manchester City a dream start with a 1-0 lead.

In the 51st minute of the second half, Malmus took a corner kick and Gvardiol headed the ball into the goal, helping Manchester City extend their lead to 2-0.

In the end, Manchester City eliminated Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Wembley Stadium, and Manchester City will compete for the championship with Crystal Palace, which eliminated Aston Villa, in the final.

Manchester City coach Guardiola said in an interview, "7 consecutive semi-finals and 3 finals fully demonstrate the outstanding strength of this generation of players and the club. We are very happy to advance to the final. This season as a whole is not ideal, because the success or failure of the season is still determined by the Premier League. Since I came here, we have been competitive every year, but now we must minimize losses as much as possible and ensure qualification for the Champions League."

"There are still four finals waiting for us in the Premier League, and we are also very happy to be here again to compete with Crystal Palace for the FA Cup, and everyone has seen Crystal Palace's excellent performance."

Reflecting on the performance against Nottingham Forest, Guardiola shared, “Getting the goal early in the game really helped us, and the team kept a good rhythm afterwards, but the passing and shooting at the key moments were not smart enough. We didn’t take advantage of three or four direct shooting opportunities.”

"Nottingham Forest created chances and we were a little lucky when they had a shot that hit the post and bounced out. But overall we played really well."

In addition, Guardiola also said, "Rico Lewis and Nico O'Leary both played very well. Rico Lewis can move inside well at full-back, but I think his best position is in the midfield area."

"He moves very well in small areas, just like Foden. When we press opponents and trap them near the penalty area, we need players who can move flexibly in small spaces. Rico Lewis is one of the best players I have ever seen in this regard, and he has shown his extraordinary talent with his goals."