Manchester City has moved one step closer to a historic treble after defeating Manchester United in the FA Cup final. The game started with a bang as Ilkay Gundogan scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history just 12 seconds into the match. However, United managed to equalize with a first-half penalty from Bruno Fernandes. City’s captain scored the winning goal with a weak effort from outside the 18-yard box, which United goalkeeper David de Gea should have saved. This victory leaves City needing to beat Inter Milan in the upcoming Champions League final to become only the second English team to achieve a treble, with the first being United in 1999.
United’s tactics were ineffective and boiled down to little more than hit and hope. The team attempted a few long-range efforts, but this approach was never going to work against the formidable City team. Inter Milan will need to have a better game plan and better players to deny City in the upcoming final in Istanbul. However, there already appears to be an air of inevitability about the European Cup being dressed in sky blue ribbons, just as the Premier League trophy and FA Cup have been this season.
Guardiola, City’s manager, expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to win the Champions League, saying, “We can now talk about the treble. Of course, we still have to win the Champions League, but we performed so well for our city and our fans. We are in a position we will probably never be in again.” There are many reasons for City’s success, including Guardiola’s leadership, the team’s striker Erling Haaland, and the midfield strength provided by Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, and Rodri. However, the simple truth about City is that they know how to win, regardless of the opponent in front of them or the challenge they pose.
Teams that try to take on City have found themselves ripped apart, as Real Madrid did in their 4-0 Champions League semifinal second-leg demolition last month. Even sitting deep and trying to frustrate City only invites wave after wave of attacks, passing opponents into submission and to defeat. United tried a different approach by deploying Fred to man-mark De Bruyne and hope to nullify City’s driving force, but this just left Gundogan and Rodri to enjoy acres of midfield space, with auxiliary midfielder John Stones also giving United a problem they couldn’t fix.
When United managed to get a foothold in the game halfway through the first half and bring a sense of chaos with Fernandes and their forwards attempting to stretch the City defence, it was like a journeyman boxer throwing aimless punches in the hope of landing a big blow. United just tired themselves out, and as soon as City regained the lead, there was never any real sense of them conceding again. United tried the sporadic flurries once more, with substitute Alejandro Garnacho injecting some pace and purpose on the hour mark, but City always had them at arm’s length.
City has lost just once in their past 27 games, and that was a 1-0 defeat at Brentford on the final day of the Premier League season when the title had already been secured, and Guardiola rested key players in preparation for the FA Cup and Champions League finals. They are a team in peerless form and haven’t just beaten all their rivals but inflicted some heavy defeats on them too. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Madrid have all conceded four against City in recent weeks, so good luck to Inter.
United’s loss is a reality check for the team, which must find a way to beat City when the opportunity presents itself. Even when City doesn’t perform to their best, they still win, making them a team that is difficult to defeat. City is now so far ahead of the pack that the challenge is on the chasers to find a way to catch them. The only team finding a way right now is City, and they are expected to find a way against Inter next week.
History beckons for City as they aim to achieve a treble while also denying United the opportunity to forever claim it as their own, making it even sweeter for City. With two down, they are one step closer to making history.
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