This year’s FA Cup final is a re-run of 2023 as Man City and Man Utd once again face off to be named winner of the oldest domestic cup competition in the world.
In the 2023 final, the match ended 2-1 to Man City with İlkay Gündoğan (now at Barcelona) opening the scoring within the first minute before Man Utd got one back via a Bruno Fernandes penalty, but Gündoğan scored again early in the second half and Man City held on for the win.
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— Man City vs Man United Live Stream (@afcstrms) May 25, 2024
Will Man City make it back-to-back twice?
A Manchester derby takes centre stage in the showpiece fixture of club football’s oldest competition for the second year in succession, with Man City looking to secure an unprecedented back-to-back double having lifted the Premier League trophy last weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s imperious side have shown little sign of letting up, despite hints of the manager soon calling it a day, and Phil Foden has stepped up this season to truly become one of the world’s best attacking midfielders.
The two Manchester-based teams come into this final in contrasting form. Last weekend, Man City were named Premier League champions for a record-breaking fourth time in a row, while Man Utd finished the season in their lowest-ever position in the EPL table, 8th. On paper, Man City are the clear favourites to win, but anything can happen in an FA Cup final.
Wembley Stadium sets the stage for a repeat of last year’s all Manchester FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United.
Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, seeks redemption after last season’s 2-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s City denied him a cup double in his first year at Old Trafford. With his job on the line, Ten Hag aims to lead United to their 13th FA Cup title.
4th time Premier league champions
The challenge Is immense, as City, four-time consecutive Premier League champions, are determined to secure their eighth FA Cup crown. Fresh off a historic 3-1 win against West Ham on the final day of the Premier League, Guardiola’s side is well-prepared for this crucial clash.
If any team can defend the FA Cup title, it’s Manchester City, who aim to match Arsenal’s back-to-back triumphs from 2013/14 and 2014/15. The stage is set for an epic battle between these fierce rivals.
Man city’s rival in finals over the years
Man City’s run to the FA Cup final saw them face Huddersfield, Tottenham, Luton, Newcastle and Chelsea, while Man Utd had to see off Wigan, Newport, Nottm Forest, Liverpool and Coventry City, the latter took the Red Devils all the way to penalties in a dramatic semi-final. Both teams have overcome solid opposition to book their place at Wembley Stadium and will be desperate to lift the famous trophy.
Man Utd simply must win the FA Cup if they are to qualify for Europe after a lowly eighth-placed finished was confirmed on the final weekend of the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag’s plan of the season
Erik ten Hag is reportedly set to be sacked whatever the result, with United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe planning a complete overhaul. Reports suggest that he will be sacked as United manager regardless of the outcome at Wembley, with those rumours threatening to be a very obvious distraction ahead of the final.
The 53 year old was, however, reliably informed by Gary Lineker last weekend that he can create further history with Man City in Saturday’s Wembley showpiece, as no team in English football has ever won the top-flight title and FA Cup in consecutive seasons. The Citizens could complete the league title and FA Cup double for the third time, something that has only been achieved previously by Man United (1993-94, 1995-96 and 1998-99) and Arsenal (1970-71, 1997-98 and 2001-02).
FA Cup timeline over the years
Arsenal were in fact the last team to win back-to-back FA Cups (2014 and 2015) and have won a record 14 trophies in total, with Man United second on the all-time list with 12, while Man City can move into joint-third with eight triumphs along with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur if they can come out on top this weekend.
Since losing 3-2 to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the 2022 FA Cup, Man City have won each of their last 11 games in the competition, scoring 34 goals and conceding only five times. Guardiola’s men have navigated their way past Huddersfield Town, Spurs, Luton Town, Newcastle United and Chelsea to reach another final this term, edging past the latter by a 1-0 score-line in the semi-finals last month courtesy of a deflected strike from Bernardo Silva six minutes from time.
City will enter the match with a mostly clean bill of health, though Stefan Ortega is set to start at goalkeeper with Ederson injured. United will be missing Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire while Mason Mount, Victor Lindelöf and Anthony Martial will be late calls.
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