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As dark clouds hung over the safety of the task, Erik ten Hag was ambitious in his tactical choice.
The 4-2-2-2 that has seen Manchester United win against Newcastle United and Brighton
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were prized on the wings, while Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes operated up front as separate strikers. The United manager’s game plan was to engage and then counter-attack Manchester City.
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Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2: An impressive team goal as Ten Hag wins the FA Cup
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“In football, you’re going to lose games,” Pep Guardiola said last weekend, after watching his team win the Premier League once again. “You have to know how you lose games. That’s what defines the most productive teams.
Indeed, Manchester City fell in the second half and recovered a goal to prepare for a tense final, which kept a lot of face after the first forty-five minutes.
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Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2: An impressive team goal as Ten Hag wins the FA Cup
If history remembers that this was Ten Hag’s last game in charge, at least United scored one of the best goals of their two seasons – a testament to what they set out to achieve.
It was a test of how the United manager needs his players to attack: with intensity at the start, then with composure to finish in the box. This may seem counterintuitive. This has seemed contradictory and, at times, absolutely untenable this season. But when it works, it’s exciting.
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Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2: An impressive team goal as Ten Hag wins the FA Cup
From the first exchanges, it was clear that Manchester United would not try to dominate the match.
Erik ten Hag was content to allow Manchester City to have the ball, but he looked for his players to be in a position to exploit the opponent’s top line at the slightest opportunity. The Dutchman looked to take advantage of the speed of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to get City’s defence.
And it worked, over and over again.
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Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2: An impressive team goal as Ten Hag wins the FA Cup
And the majority opinion of City fans in our discussion of the day (which you can locate here) is that poor functionality in the first half costs them the chance to lift the trophy.
Michael G: Too little, too far behind for City. Mistakes in the first half cost us a LOT of mistakes in the second half. City will have to think about moving the team forward in the transfer window. Deep reflection.
Gareth P: Abject functionality in the first half full of individual errors. If De Bruyne, Foden and Bernardo don’t show up, it’s almost impossible.
Well, that makes the replacement of United’s positive enthusiasts one of our discussions of the day. And, given everything they’ve had to see this season, it’s time they had something to enjoy.
(Subscribers can check out our discussion of the day by clicking here. )
Andrew B: Remarkable result for Ten Hag given the stories surrounding his future. Two cups in two years and the Europa League in his bag. Never a moment!
Ian P: Well, that’s a little bit special.
Jane S: I’m delighted. A highlight of a disappointing season.
Declan D: Two academies scoring in the Cup final just two years after winning the Youth Cup final. Only United have managed to bring in academy graduates consistently and keep it that way for a long time.
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Today’s result means that next season will start the same way this one ended, with Manchester City and Manchester United going head-to-head for a cup.
The Community Shield will pit the reigning Premier League champions against the FA Cup champions.
Had City won today, Arsenal would have been runners-up in the PL to United.
Erik ten Hag told the BBC after the match that the complaint he and the team had received from the media this season was unfounded.
Pep Guardiola was then asked about his counterpart’s future: “They have to make a decision (about his long-term). I don’t know, but he’s a lovely person, a normal coach, winning the FA Cup was vital for them as it was for us last season.
Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United’s partial owner, praised his club’s victory: “It’s an excellent feeling to win the FA Cup final at Wembley. Manchester United were obviously not favourites to win today, but they played with overall commitment and skill and we beat one of the best teams in football. We are all very proud of the players and staff who work tirelessly to help them.
Not from the manager. . .
There is only one game left in the English domestic season as Southampton and Leeds United meet in the championship play-off final to determine who will occupy the final position in the Premier League next season.
But today’s match marks the end of the season’s trophies and here’s who won them.
Guardiola also asked if the winning team is the best.
They didn’t have the same opportunities as us,” he said. “In the second half we were there the whole time.
“United have been a transitional team for 10, 20, 30 years. In the first half we struggled a bit and in the second we were bigger until we found our moment. We scored a little late with the chances we had. Erling (Haaland) and Julián (Álvarez).
“Overall, it’s a smart end-to-end feature. “
Pep Guardiola asked him what he said to his players after the game.
“I congratulated them all on a season,” he told the BBC.
Then, he offered his reflections on the match.
“We lost the game, congratulations to United,” Guardiola added. It was an even game and after conceding the goal and in the second half, for the first five or ten minutes, we had chances.
“We replaced our speed at the front and overall it’s a very clever feature heading into the final. “
Manchester City’s defeat today ends their 35-match unbeaten run in all competitions (their Champions League penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid counts as a draw).
His unbeaten run is the second-longest at a top-flight club in English football history, following Nottingham Forest’s 40-game run in 1978.
Diogo Dalot highlighted that despite today’s excellent performance, he and his teammates did not meet the club’s highest criteria this season.
“It’s the most productive way to dominate this game,” he told the BBC. “The mentality we showed, the hard work, the resilience.
“I can simply say that it was the most productive game of the season in terms of the whole team. It’s possible that in the dressing room before the game you feel like we were looking to win this game.
“But, I repeat, that’s the popularity of this club, it has to be like that in each and every game, in each and every competition. I know it’s a tough season, but I think it’s smart to end it. So with a trophy. “
It’s a start for 19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, who went from being FA Youth Cup champions in 2022 to scoring the goals to win an all-out trophy two years later, in a Manchester derby no less.
They have played more than expected this season, exhibiting occasional fatigue; he will be instrumental for United in the years to come.
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The biggest effect of an absence in European football is the effect it has on a club’s finances.
And, having already missed out on the Champions League, United made it to the Europa League, and they did.
We’ve put together a full explanation of how the club’s finances are affected by European qualification towards the end of the season; Check it out below.
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How would Manchester United be affected financially if they failed to qualify for Europe?
Rodri’s unbeaten streak came to an end. Prior to today’s match, they had played 74 consecutive matches in all competitions without suffering a defeat.
Athletic’s Carl Anka, Mark Critchley, Dan Sheldon and Sam Lee described a dramatic afternoon at Wembley, analysing the biggest conversation problems in the face of United’s upset.
Follow the link below to see their analysis!
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Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2: An impressive team goal as Ten Hag wins the FA Cup