FA Cup Final: Manchester City vs Manchester United – Preview
Manchester City and Manchester United are set to reignite their rivalry to put the cherry on top of a memorable English football season.
It simply doesn’t get bigger than this. Two sides who have a deep-rooted history, none more than the recent times where records have been shattered and legend has been rewritten, will come together at Wembley on June 3rd for the FA Cup final.
Pep Guardiola’s side has transformed into superhumans. They were behind Arsenal for nearly 250 days before winning the league by five points after having scalped just one point in their final two outings.
It was Ethan Pinnock’s well-directed header that catapulted Brentford to a double over the champions, ending a remarkable 25-game unbeaten streak. With the treble in sight and that match holding little to no relevance, the team that simply manufactures wins of all kinds will look to win its first FA Cup since 2018/19, when they obliterated Watford 6-0.
Manchester United have plenty to cheer about as well. They already lifted the League Cup earlier this year and secured a third-place finish in the league. The Red Devils will be boosted by their record of five wins in six against Man City in the FA Cup.
Still, this will be their first-ever meeting in a major final. They held the bragging rights when the two teams last met, edging City 2-1 at Old Trafford. Perhaps defeats such as those rekindled Manchester City’s campaign.
All of what has transpired will be forgotten, though, when these two fierce rivals lock horns beneath the hallowed Wembley arch.
Team News
Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias missed the final game of the season, but that could simply be a precautionary measure to freshen them up for the final.
Otherwise, Guardiola has a clean bill of health heading into the final.
Manchester United
While Marcus Rashford’s return from a brief injury lay-off is a vital boost, Manchester United will be without Anthony Martial for the final, after the forward sustained a hamstring injury against Fulham.
Ten Hag will be sweating over Antony’s fitness following his collision with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, but the Dutch boss was optimistic, as he revealed “We’ve all seen how he came off and it didn’t look great but the first assessment is not too bad, there is a good opportunity he is available for the cup final next week.”
Scott McTominay’s cameos indicate he is fully fit, albeit may not find a starting spot for the final. Marcel Sabitzer and Lisandro Martinez remained sidelined.
Predicted XI
Manchester City probable line-up (4-3-3): Ederson; John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake; Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan; Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva
Manchester United probable line-up (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen; Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho; Marcus Rashford
Match Prediction
The final promises to be a feisty, tactical affair between two coaches who have shared the spoils with each other this season.
Much will depend on the Rodri versus Casemiro battle. If the former can break Manchester United’s counterattacks and bring in regulation fouls, City will have continued possession. On the other hand, Casemiro’s brilliance as a defensive midfielder to shunt a free-flowing, fearless passing side will hold the key to United’s fortunes.
The blue side of Manchester are simply more prolific, and Erling Haaland, by his otherworldly standards, is on a mini-goal drought which he will be desperate to break. It could very well come down to Man City edging the Red Devils in the second half.
Predicted score: Manchester City 2-0 Manchester United
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Oldelpaso. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.