FA Cup: City dominates United (2-1) and still dreams of the treble

by time news

2023-06-03 18:35:30

And one, and two, and… soon three for Manchester City? The English champion trophy already in his pocket, Pep Guardiola’s men had two finals to play before going on vacation, that of the FA Cup and the Champions League. The Cityzens won the first of these two finals at Wembley this Saturday afternoon, against Manchester United (2-1).

And it was not necessary to arrive late in this summit of English football, the first Manchester derby in the Cup final in the London enclosure. It took no more than 13 seconds of play for Pep Guardiola’s men, through İlkay Gündoğan, to open the scoring (1-0, 1st). A sumptuous goal in addition to being fast for the captain of the Skyblueson fire for several weeks and whose volley went to lodge in the skylight of David De Gea.

Arbitration decisions contested

The debates were balanced thereafter, in a committed match and whose star was for a long time the referee, who made three very controversial decisions in the first period. The first, that of not giving a red or even yellow card to Casemiro, guilty of a big sole on the ankle of Akanji (12th). The second, that of granting a very generous penalty to United for a deflection at the fingertips of Jack Grealish in the box, penalty converted by Bruno Fernandes (1-1, 33rd). The third finally, that of having “forgotten” a penalty for City, when contact did exist between Fred and De Bruyne (39th).

Not dejected, Pep Guardiola’s men were able to rest on a reassuring truth: this season, few teams can hold them high over time. Even when their home striker Erling Haaland is mute, it is captain İlkay Gündoğan who turns into goal scorer. Another inspired volley, from the left this time, on an off-center free kick that Kevin De Bruyne remotely guided him (2-1, 51st). The German even thought to offer himself a hat-trick (71st), but the joy was logically refused to him for offside.

Solid to the end Skyblues therefore won this Cup final, the first of two finals before going on vacation being, perhaps, the happy owners of three new trophies. This FA Cup final was the 7th won by City in its history. There remains the most important, the most anticipated and the most prestigious, the one that the Cityzens have never won: the Champions League final, which will be played next Saturday (June 10) against Inter Milan. The double is already exceptional, the hat-trick can be great for Pep Guardiola and his men.

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