Manchester City displayed their big-game experience by brushing aside a luckless Nottingham Forest to reach a third successive FA Cup final.

Pep Guardiola's side set up a Wembley showpiece on 17 May against Crystal Palace at the same time as they relinquished a four-year hold on the Premier League trophy after Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur to become champions on Sunday.

City were in control from the first whistle on a balmy day in London and will now aim to end a disappointing season on a high by lifting the famous cup trophy for the eighth time in their history.

With their supporters outnumbered in the stands, the City players silenced the Forest following inside just two minutes as the impressive Mateo Kovacic found Rico Lewis on the edge of the box and the 20-year-old drilled an unerring finish into the bottom corner.

Forest found it difficult to settle in the opening period and City sniffed more opportunities - Omar Marmoush exchanging passes with Jack Grealish before firing over, while Nico O'Reilly dragged an effort wide after showcasing some neat footwork in the build-up.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men should have levelled seconds after the restart, though, when Callum Hudson-Odoi rolled a pass across the box, but Anthony Elanga, on his 23rd birthday, sent his first-time effort wide of the post from eight yards.

City made the former Manchester United winger pay dearly for that miss as six minutes into the second half they doubled their lead - centre-back Josko Gvardiol rising highest to power home a header from Marmoush's corner.

Forest attempted to claw themselves back into the contest and struck the woodwork an incredible three times. Morgan Gibbs-White rattled the crossbar with a stunning volley, before hitting the post from a tight angle after going round goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi also clipped an effort against the post and once Ortega kept out Nicolas Dominguez's header at full stretch from another opportunity, Forest knew it was not going to be their day as City booked a Wembley return.

As red smoke filled Anfield and Arne Slot's men confirmed their coronation as top-flight winners for a 20th time, City focused on another prize as their Premier League dominance came to an end.

In the build-up to the semi-final, Guardiola admitted the campaign has not been good enough, regardless of his side claiming a top-five league finish and an FA Cup final triumph.

But City and their fans will head back to the capital for a 29th time since 2007 next month - one shy of Chelsea's record tally - with the opportunity of salvaging a poor domestic and Champions League season by ending it on a high with silverware.

Ticket prices and the cost of a day trip down south left swathes of empty seats in the City half of the national stadium but those at Wembley, including chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, celebrated another success on the big stage.

They have beaten and lost against rivals Manchester United in the showpiece on the past two occasions, but made more history by becoming the first English side to reach three successive finals in both the FA Cup and League Cup.

The early goal set City on their way and they dominated the first half courtesy of Croatian midfielder Kovacic, who dictated play in the middle of the park and provided the assist for the Lewis opener.

Gvardiol's towering header provided them with a cushion in the second half and they needed that buffer, riding their luck in a crucial period before progressing to another final under Guardiola's leadership.

Euston train station, platforms on the Tube and the walk up to Wembley were bathed in red shirts as Forest reached this stage of the competition for the first time since 1991, when they went on to reach the final but were beaten by Tottenham.

With a place in next season's Champions League within reach, they have enjoyed a remarkable season and their expectant fans packed the east half of Wembley, singing boss Nuno's name loudly before kick-off.

But it fell flat thereafter.

Injuries and suspension meant 18-year-old defender Zach Abbott was handed just his third Forest appearance, but the defeat meant Nuno missed out on becoming just the second Portuguese manager - after Jose Mourinho - to reach an FA Cup final.

The two-time winners, last triumphing back in 1959, had their opportunities to recover from a lacklustre first-half display, but were unable to make their numerous gilt-edged chances count.

Elanga should have levelled seconds after coming on as a substitute, while on another day, efforts from Gibbs-White and Awoniyi could all have gone in to turn the game around.

But Forest could not breach Ortega's goal and their despondent players now have to focus on the remaining five Premier League matches to finish in the top five and claim a deserved Champions League spot for next season.