All eyes will be at the Wembley Stadium as crosstown rivals Manchester City and Manchester United lock horns with each other later this evening for the FA Cup final. In the tournament’s 128-year history it is happening for the first time that the 2 Manchester based clubs are locking horns in the Final round.
In fact, City and United are playing against each other in a cup final for the first time in their history. The last time they met in the FA Cup was back in 2011 season. Manchester City had defeated United in the semi-finals by 1-0 before the Red Devils won by 3-2 in that year’s community shield.
Both of the teams have faced each other twice already this season in the Premier League. Manchester City who have now become EPL champions for the 3rd season in a row, defeated Man United 6-3 in the first derby of the season back in October.
In the reverse fixture back in January, United shape shifted City and went on to win the game 2-1 at Old Trafford. Thus the equation between the bitter rivals is evenly set for a scintillating FA Cup Finale from 6 PM onwards. The Red Devils under Erik Ten Hag have experienced a major turnaround this season.
Also read: Jose Mourinho gives UEFA Europa League runners-up medal to fans! Footballing world goes frenzy
They have already sealed UEFA Champions League qualification by finishing 3rd in the PL table and are also in a motivated mood to stop Manchester City from becoming only the 2nd English club to have won the Treble.
This is Manchester United’s 21st FA Cup final appearance, the joint-most in the competition along with Arsenal. United’s previous FA Cup final appearance saw them win the competition for the 12th time in their history. Man City on the other hand are going to play their 12th FA Cup final and first since 2019 when they won all of the domestic trophies on offer – EPL, Community Shield, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lauds United ahead of the Final
Pep Guardiola’s men will be playing to win their 7th FA Cup trophy and their second last game of this season. After this match, the Cityzens will be traveling to Istanbul for the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan on 10th June.
Meanwhile during the pre-match press conference, Guardiola highlighted the way United have improved themselves since the 6-3 thrashing at the Etihad Stadium. “What United are doing in the last five or six months, they’re a completely different team to what we faced at the beginning of the season. We have to be in our best to beat them at Wembley.” – Guardiola said.
