Another trophy for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season. They just defeated Manchester United in the final of the FA Cup to secure the second trophy of the season. City skipper Ilkay Gundogan sunk the Red Devils alone. His brilliant two goals outside of the box secured the FA Cup for the Citizens. With this monumental win, Manchester City now stands on the brink of a historic treble, having already secured the Premier League title and now the FA Cup.
Match Report
At Wembley Stadium, two English giants Manchester United and Manchester City faced off each other for the first time in the FA Cup final. Both teams were desperate and determined to win the silverware. Therefore, managers from both sides deployed their best possible XI against Wembley Stadium.
City boss Pep Guardiola recalled Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, and Jack Grealish after giving them a rest in the previous game. He set up the team formation with 3-2-4-1, where Erling Haaland was the only striker for the Citizens. However, he was backed by Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, and De Bruyne.
On the other hand, Man United’s manager Erik Ten Hag needed to be lucky to get a full-fit squad. Anthony Martial and Antony missed the final due to injuries. However, Ten Hag played his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Rashford played as the center forward, while Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes played in the two flanks.
The Wembley was full of supporters from two sides. But Manchester City took no time to take the lead. Ilkay Gundogan stunned Manchester United with a bullet shot. His powerful shot outside the box found the net in just 13 seconds. As a result, the Citizens went ahead of Man United in just 13 seconds, making a record for scoring the fasted goal in the history of the FA Cup.
However, Man United didn’t give up and tried their best to find the equalizer. The chance came in the 33rd minute as Jack Grealish made a handball inside Man City’s box. Therefore, Man United earned a penalty kick from which Bruno Fernandes scored for the Red Devils. Both sides created many chances but failed to find the net. As a result, the first half ended in a 1-1 tie.
After the break, Man City took the lead once again without wasting much time. It was Ilkay Gundogan again, who put Man City ahead in the game. Gundogan converted De Bruyne’s cross into a brilliant goal. The second goal was the exact copy of the first one. Man United, however, tried hard but couldn’t score more in the remaining minutes. In the end, Manchester City secured the victory at Wembley Stadium, going one step closer to securing the treble.
