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Manchester City reached their third consecutive FA Cup final by beating Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but the semi-final was played against a backdrop of thousands of empty seats in the blue half of Wembley.

Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed an incredible period of success and the club and supporters will travel down to the national stadium as a neutral venue for the 29th time since it was refurbished in 2007, when they face Crystal Palace on 17 May.

Manchester City have made Wembley their second home since beating rivals Manchester United in the 2011 FA Cup semi-finals, before edging past Stoke courtesy of Yaya Toure’s winner in the final which laid the foundations for the trophy-laden years that have followed.

But the frequent trips from Manchester to London appear to have taken their toll, with an attendance of 72,976 for Sunday’s game at the 90,000-capacity stadium.

This was City’s seventh consecutive semi-final appearance but – aside from the Covid years when matches were played behind closed doors – there have been occasions during that run when the attendance was lower, in 2023 against Sheffield United (69,603) and Brighton in 2019 (71,521).

The ticket-sales breakdown for the four semi-finalists this year were approximately:

Factors such as Nottingham Forest having a remarkable season, Crystal Palace being based in London and Aston Villa’s buoyant team chasing silverware under Unai Emery can be taken into consideration for those numbers.

Reaching Wembley does not happen too often for most clubs and supporters relish a possible once-in-a-lifetime day out there.

One scenario would be to give the tickets away, but there is a balance to be struck between keeping them on sale until the last minute for fans to purchase them, against the idea of distributing them among people in the local area for free.

Manchester City supporters have pointed out the price of tickets, ranging from £30 to £150, the cost of travel down to London, buying food and drink and a Sunday kick-off at 16:30 BST as the major factors for the number of empty seats.

Kevin Parker, general secretary of City’s official supporters’ club, told BBC Sport: “It is an expensive day out and when you have done it 25 or 30 times, there are decisions you have to take in terms of the cost.

“Our record in the FA Cup under Guardiola has been unbelievable, but fans – without disrespect to Nottingham Forest – are hoping to be reasonably confident we will play in the final. Those games are only three weeks apart. People do have to make a financial choice. “

Those who were in attendance joyously celebrated victory with their ‘Poznan’ dance, while Guardiola took the adulation of the travelling supporters.

“You could see the passion within the supporters after beating Nottingham Forest, but ‘Wembley fatigue’ is a good way of describing how we feel about the day,” says Parker.

“It is a long day for travel, the additional expense and having work or school the next day. It is inconvenient to play at 4:30pm on a Sunday. “

Some City fans are planning further protests during the Premier League game against Wolves at Etihad Stadium on Friday over what they say is the club’s refusal to increase the number of season-ticket holders.

But Parker said the non-sale of tickets for the semi-final was “not a fan protest” and the empty seats had “nothing to do with that”.

There have also been calls to move semi-finals away from Wembley to another neutral venue.

The club laid on 12 coaches but road closures because of the Manchester marathon made it complicated for supporters to meet at Etihad Stadium for the 09:30 departure, while some did not arrive back until 01:30 on Monday morning.

Had the match gone to extra time or penalties, it would have made it even more difficult for City fans to head home, with only three trains to Manchester departing Euston Station after 20:00.

“One day maybe the FA Cup will be played here in the north,” City boss Guardiola said in his pre-match news conference on Friday.

“They will come here to Old Trafford or [the] Etihad or Anfield or Goodison Park. I understand the people, I’m not the person to say.

“All around the world people suffer economically and I understand completely it’s not easy for them. “

Nick Clarke, a founder of the MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, told BBC Sport that City are “a northern club” and it is a 400-mile round trip for fans.

Clarke said he was “out of pocket” for the outing as he booked a 16-seater minibus for £850 which was only taken up by 12 people, while his ticket cost £45 and the total for food and drink was £60.

BBC Sport asked City fans their thoughts with Steve saying semi-finals at Wembley take the “aura” away around those matches, Andrew asking for a “geographically sensible ground”, while Ian said the costs “mount up”.

However, Wembley is the home of the semi-finals and can accommodate the greatest number of fans for the clubs competing in the last four.

Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed a remarkable period of success, and on May 17, the club and supporters will travel to the national stadium as a neutral for the 29th time since it underwent a renovation. They take on Crystal Palace.

Manchester City have won the trophy-filled years that followed by beating rivals Manchester United at Wembley after making their second home at the 2011 FA Cup semi-final.

However, the frequent trips from Manchester to London appear to have had a negative impact, with 72, 976 spectators present for Sunday’s game at the stadium’s 90, 000 capacity.

Although this was City’s seventh consecutive semi-final appearance, there have been times during that span (2019 71, 521 vs. Sheffield United, 69, 603) and those against Brighton in 2019 (71, 521).

The four semi-finalists this year had roughly the following ticket sales:

For those figures, factors like Nottingham Forest’s remarkable season, Crystal Palace’s thriving team, and Aston Villa’s enthusiastic squad chasing silverware under Unai Emery can be taken into account.

Most clubs and supporters look forward to a chance to spend a lifetime at Wembley. This is not a typical Wembley experience.

The idea of giving the tickets away would be a good one, but there must be a balance between keeping them on sale until the last minute so fans can purchase them and allowing people in their neighborhood to receive them for free.

The main factors contributing to the number of empty seats are the cost of travel, which ranges from £30 to £150, the cost of food and beverage purchases in London, and a Sunday kick-off at 16:30 BST, according to Manchester City supporters.

It is an expensive day out, and when you have done it 25 or 30 times, you have to make a decision about the cost, according to Kevin Parker, general secretary of City’s official supporters’ club, according to BBC Sport.

Fans are hoping to be reasonably confident that we will compete in the FA Cup final despite Guardiola’s incredible record in charge. Only three weeks apart are those games. People must make a financial choice, after all.

Guardiola embraced the acclaim of the traveling supporters as they joyfully celebrated their victory with their “Poznan” dance.

You could see the supporters’ enthusiasm after beating Nottingham Forest, but Parker asserts that “Wembley fatigue” is a good way to express how we feel about the game.

The additional costs, as well as having work or school the day after, make it a long day. Playing at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday is not convenient.

Some City fans are planning additional protests for the Premier League game against Wolves at Etihad Stadium on Friday over what they claim is the club’s refusal to increase the number of season-ticket holders.

However, Parker claimed that the semi-final tickets weren’t sold because there was nothing wrong with the empty seats.

Additionally, it has been suggested that the semi-finals should be moved from Wembley to another nearby venue.

In his pre-game press conference on Friday, city manager Guardiola said, “One day maybe the FA Cup will be played here in the north.”

They will visit Old Trafford, Anfield, or Goodison Park, respectively. I am not the person to say that I understand the people.

“I fully understand that people all over the world experience economic hardship, and I fully understand that.”

The MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, a founder of the organization, claimed that City are “a northern club” and require fans to travel 400 miles round.

Clarke claimed to be “out of pocket” for the trip, noting that 12 passengers only had to pay for the 16-seat minibus, which he had reserved for £850, while his ticket cost £45 and the cost total for food and beverages was £60.

Steve and Andrew both claimed that the “aura” of those games should be preserved during the semi-finals at Wembley, while Ian claimed that the costs “mount up.”

The semi-finals are held at Wembley, which can accommodate the most fans for the teams competing in the last four, though.