For only the second time in the storied history of the FA Cup – and the first since 1885 – the same two sides will contest the final in back-to-back years, when once again Manchester City and Manchester United lock horns at Wembley. City sensationally took the lead inside 13 seconds of this fixture last year as Pep Guardiola’s history makers secured the second leg of their treble, part of a sequence of six wins from the last seven Manchester derbies (L1).
Improving on that record would help City make even more history, as less than one week after claiming an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title, Guardiola’s men could become the first English side to win back-to-back league and cup doubles. Only the daring could write off a side that are unbeaten inside 90 minutes in a whopping 36 consecutive games dating back to mid-December (W29, D7), marking City out as strong favourites to secure an eighth FA Cup crown.
Only Arsenal (14) and Manchester United (12) can better that tally, and adding to that may well be the only way manager Erik ten Hag can save his job in the Old Trafford dugout. The Dutchman is under serious pressure after the Red Devils slumped to their lowest-ever Premier League-era finish (eighth), which was their worst showing since 1989/90 – coincidentally a season in which they won the FA Cup!
United’s love affair with this competition has soured somewhat in recent years however, lifting the trophy just once since 2004! Remarkably, they’ve lost four of their last five finals, all of which came against fellow ‘big six’ sides, so an alarming trend of conceding three times in both the quarter and semi-finals suggests the Red Devils are up against it here against their so-called ‘noisy neighbours’.
Players to watch: Newly crowned Premier League Player of the Season Phil Foden has proved unstoppable in recent months, but his affiliation with this fixture stretches even further back, netting six times in his last four starts against United. The Red Devils could be reliant on captain and creator-in-chief Bruno Fernandes, who was on the scoresheet in last year’s final from the penalty spot, one of three strikes against City (W2, L1).
Hot stat: Pep Guardiola has beaten Manchester United 15 times as a manager (D3, L7). Only against Burnley (17) and Arsenal (20) has he won more in the dugout.
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