Our seventh successive FA Cup semi-final appearance began in perfect fashion, as Lewis expertly controlled Mateo Kovacic’s pass 18 yards from goal, before arrowing an accurate strike into the bottom left corner beyond the sprawling Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The Blues had a spring in their step and showed plenty of energy, tenacity and hunger for a second goal, with Omar Marmoush and Nico O’Reilly striking towards goal, but failing to hit the target.
Anthony Elanga was introduced from the bench for Forest at half-time and just two minutes after the interval, the rapid winger almost scored with his first touch of the ball, latching onto Callum Hudson-Odoi’s low cross into the box but side-footing wide of Stefan Ortega Moreno’s left post from eight yards.
Minutes later, City hit back and forced Sels into a fine double-save, firstly from a powerful Matheus Nunes strike which he parried into the path of Kovacic, but the Croatian’s deflected strike was then superbly cleared off the line by the goalkeeper’s legs.
From the resulting corner, Sels could not deny Kovacic’s compatriot, as Gvardiol rose highest to power in our second from Omar Marmoush’s in-swinging delivery.
Shortly after the hour mark, Forest came within inches of pulling a goal back twice, as Morgan Gibbs-White’s sensational left-foot volley from the edge of the 18-yard box crashed off the crossbar, and then minutes later, the Englishman rounded Ortega Moreno and hit the post from a difficult angle.
With just over 10 minutes left to play, Forest rattled the woodwork for a third time in quick succession, this time Taiwo Awoniyi clattering the post, as City preserved a clean sheet to progress into the final of the FA Cup for a third successive year!
View the best images from the victory via our match gallery below.
