Pep Guardiola looks to complete a famous double, while Erik ten Hag aims to salvage a desperately poor season for the Red Devils
For the second straight year it’ll be a Manchester derby in the FA Cup final, and for the second straight years it’s newly crowned Premier League champions Manchester City who enter as heavy favorites against Manchester United.
Man City were 2-1 victors this time last year, adding the second jewel to their treble crown and doing so against the last English treble winners and their biggest rivals. Fast-forward a year, and the gulf between them is only widening — City are champions for the fourth straight season now, and Man United finished 31 points behind them (14 last season). Given that reaction, Saturday’s final is perhaps Erik ten Hag’s last chance to convince the club’s new ownership and team of directors that he is the right man for the job. If he doesn’t, United will have failed to qualify for any European competition next season; if the Red Devils win, they will play in the Europa League.
Facing any other opponent in the final, and Manchester City, fresh off celebrating English football history last weekend, might have turned up at 80 percent of their best and hoped it would be enough on the day. But, the chance to add to their recent derby dominance (6W-0D-1L in the last seven meetings)? That’ll be simply too good to pass up for Pep Guardiola’s side. They didn’t just win down the stretch (they did plenty of that — 19W-4D-0L in their last 23 league games), but they were downright dominant, conceding just two goals in their final six games and scoring 20.
Manchester City vs Manchester United highlights, live score: 0-2
Goalscorers: Alejandro Garnacho (30′), Kobbie Mainoo (39′)
GOAL – Man City 0-2 Man United: Kobbie Mainoo finishes Bruno Fernandes’ brilliant setup (39′)
GOAL – Man City 0-1 Man United: Alejandro Garnacho scores after Josko Gvardiol’s mistake (30′)
Man City starting lineup
Ortega — Walker, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol — Rodri, Kovacic, De Bruyne — Silva, Foden, Haaland
Man United starting lineup
Onana — Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Dalot — Amrabat, Mainoo, McTominay — Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford
Focus on Man City, team news
OUT: Ederson (face)
Focus on Man United, team news
OUT: Tyrell Malacia (knee), Luke Shaw (thigh), Mason Mount (undisclosed), Harry Maguire (undisclosed), Victor Lindelof (thigh), Anthony Martial (groin)