Man Utd Stun Man City to Win FA Cup

Date: 26 May 2024 - 21:58

News ID: ۱۲۷۷۱۲

LONDON (Reuters) -
Manchester United saved their best performance of a mediocre season to the very end as they upset Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday to deprive their rivals of the double.
With speculation swirling about the future of manager Erik Ten Hag, United ripped up the form book as first-half goals from teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo proved enough for them to lift the trophy for a 13th time.
They had to endure a second-half siege, however, as City swarmed forward and a late goal by Jeremy Doku set up a nerve-shredding finale before United could celebrate their first FA Cup final triumph for eight years.
Premier League champions City, bidding to become the first club to win the double in successive seasons, had been on a 35-match unbeaten run in all competitions in open play.
But a week after sealing an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League crown, Pep Guardiola’s side were well below their best, gifting Garnacho a 30th-minute opener before fellow 19-year-old Mainoo made it 2-0.
In the first final between the same teams in successive seasons since 1885, City woke up in the second half and Erling Haaland hit the crossbar, but they had to wait until the 87th minute for substitute Doku to halve the deficit.
United stood firm, however, to seal the best result of Ten Hag’s two-season reign and qualification for next season’s Europa League, although it is highly likely the Dutchman will not be in charge next season.
The build-up had been dominated by talk of the chasm between the two Manchester clubs with City having won the title for the sixth time in eight years under Guardiola and United suffering their worst Premier League campaign, finishing eighth.
Ten Hag’s future was also clouded in uncertainty with reports that the showpiece would be his last game in charge, whatever the outcome.
But he could smile at the end as he led his players up the Wembley steps with his name being sung by United’s ecstatic fans who a few hours earlier may have been fearing a drubbing.
Asked whether it was his last game, the former Ajax Amsterdam coach said: “I don’t know. For me this is a project and when I came in it was a mess.”
Garnacho, one of the few positives in United’s season, had the game’s first shot on target and his movement was a constant threat to a City defense featuring two changes with John Stones and Nathan Ake handed starts.