Manchester United and manager Erik Ten Hag proved their critics wrong by securing a remarkable FA Cup final win against the favoured Manchester City at Wembley. We at The Football Yeller are here to cover How did Man United Beat Man City? Two promising youngsters, Garnacho and Mainoo, achieved a remarkable feat in a thrilling 2-1 victory, securing a place for the Red Devils in the Europa League.
How did Man United Beat Man City? Preview
Ten Hag entered the Manchester derby final with a sense of anticipation, as there were rumours of his potential dismissal by United’s new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, regardless of the result.
If Ten Hag is to be let go, he will be departing after a remarkable day during his two-year tenure and United’s standout moment in years. Their performance was a complete departure from the disappointing displays they have shown this season.
United’s victory, which prevented City from achieving another domestic double, was fueled by an exceptional performance in the first half. This led to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
Man City, the newly crowned champions, decided to make three changes to their lineup from the team that started their title-clinching final match of the Premier League season last Sunday.
John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Mateo Kovacic were brought in, while Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Doku were moved to the bench. Read How did Man United Beat Man City? till the end.
In the recent match, Marcus Rashford and Raphael Varane made their way back into the starting lineup for Man Utd. It was quite a remarkable moment as Garnacho and Mainoo also joined them on the field, making Man Utd the first team since Millwall in 2004 to have at least two teenagers start in an FA Cup final.
In the opening minute, Man City’s penalty appeal was dismissed when Erling Haaland fell after a challenge from Lisandro Martinez while attempting to reach Bernardo Silva’s pass into the six-yard box.
However, it was Garnacho who managed to quiet City’s fans by scoring United’s first goal after 30 minutes. He took advantage of a defensive mistake between Stefan Ortega and Josko Gvardiol, sneaking in and tapping the ball into an empty net from a short distance.
Garnacho made history by becoming the first Argentinian to score in an FA Cup final since Ricardo Villa’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Man City in 1981.
In a remarkable display of defensive prowess, City had only let in four goals in the FA Cup over two years. However, their impressive record was tarnished nine minutes later when Rashford’s exceptional crossfield pass found Garnacho, who then set up Bruno Fernandes. With a sublime assist from the captain, Mainoo confidently swept the ball into the net, extending the lead to 2-0.
Scoring at the young age of 19, Mainoo achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first English teenager to score in an FA Cup final since Steve MacKenzie for Man City in that memorable match against Spurs. Read How did Man United Beat Man City? till the end.
Guardiola made some changes at the start of the second half, bringing on Akanji and Doku for Kovacic and Ake. This seemed to have a positive impact on City, as Haaland, the 2023/24 Golden Boot winner, came close to scoring in the 55th minute, hitting the crossbar with his shot.
The Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana, was quickly called into action in the 60th minute. He made a superb diving save to deny Kyle Walker’s powerful long-range shot.
Julian Alvarez missed his shot just wide of the goalpost in a one-on-one opportunity with Onana, following a pass from Phil Foden. The pressure from City was relentless.
Onana made another impressive low save to deny Walker, while Doku managed to score a goal in the 87th minute, beating the goalkeeper at his near post. This set the stage for an intense finale.
However, United, who ended the Premier League season 31 points behind their bitter rivals, showed great resilience and secured a memorable win – marking their first FA Cup final triumph in eight years. By doing so, they put an end to Rodri’s incredible streak of 74 matches without a loss in all competitions for Man City.
Ten Hag has achieved an impressive feat by securing 2 Trophies in just 2 years with Manchester United, despite facing the challenge of a squad plagued by over 66 injuries throughout the season.
The future looks promising under Ten Hag and Manchester United should consider giving him more seasons to demonstrate his value.
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