Rico Lewis helps Man City make £100m statement to defy critics again

We're not really here. So sang the Manchester City fans towards the end of their FA Cup semi-final, a punchy retort to the empty seats on show in their end as well as celebration at the amazing success their club continues to have.

Because City will be here again, next month, for the 22nd time in Pep Guardiola's time in English football for their third successive FA Cup Final. They've done four in a row in the Premier League and this is some achievement as well.

Especially because, for large parts of this season including as recently as early March at the City Ground, the real City haven't been in evidence. They went missing in October amid an injury crisis and many wondered if they would be ever seen again.

Not for the first time, attempts to write off City have been premature. Once again, they shut out the noise and did what they needed to do.

Forest fans were all over Wembley Way from lunchtime, and almost all in their seats half an hour before kick-off. They were determined to savour every minute, while the City ends were sparse - some things are just different when its your 30th time here in recent years as opposed to your second.

A lot was made of the difference between the stands before the game, yet within two minutes of the game kicking off City had silenced it as Rico Lewis smashed in the opening goal. Maybe Forest were counting the seats when they should have been marking men, but it was a wonderful move from the Blues that saw Mateo Kovacic carry the ball towards the box and find Lewis to score.

That in itself was a huge statement just moments into the game. Lewis hasn't started a game in midfield since the 4-0 home defeat to Spurs and has struggled for form and confidence for months, while few City fans