Manchester City beat United 2-1 to win the FA Cup

Manchester City, already champions of the Premier League, won their second title of the season on Saturday by defeating Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, thanks to a brace from Ilkay Gundogan that brought them closer to a historic triplet.

After already being proclaimed champions of the Premier League, City could become the second English team to achieve a treble if they beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul, after United did so in the 1998 season. -1999.

Only 13 seconds were needed for the German to surprise David de Gea with a powerful shot from the edge (1-0, minute 1), the fastest goal in an FA Cup final.

“We knew how we wanted to play the kick-off and we tried to apply it, play long for Erling (Haaland) and try to get the second ball back. It came straight at me, I just had to hit,” the player told the BBC after the game. “A Pretty Good Shot”

The Portuguese Bruno Fernandes equalized from a penalty before the break (33), but Gundogan scored the winner in the first minutes of the second half (51).

A MISTAKEN UNITED

At the moment, City have achieved a Cup and championship double for the second time in their history, after the one achieved in 2019, a domestic treble in reality since they also won the League Cup.

In one week, in Istanbul, the ‘Sky Blues’ have a unique opportunity: to win their first Champions League and, incidentally, a historic treble that only Inter Milan can prevent.

They will have the status of favourite, after the great season and the superiority shown on Saturday against their neighbors.

After finishing in third position in the Premier League and their victory in the League Cup, Manchester United made the game more difficult for City but did not put their rival in real danger.

Although they managed to equalize before the break with an almost miraculous penalty, since they had barely approached the citizens’ area, many of the Red Devils players such as Fred, Christian Eriksen or Jadon Sancho seemed not to be at the level required in a game of these characteristics.

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Even so, the equalizer could have come in the second minute of added time, with a ball that bounced off the top of the crossbar, in an occasion that epitomizes the chaos and disorganization of United’s attack.

“We are all sad and it is very difficult,” Fernandes told the BBC. “We wanted to finish the season in another way but it was not possible.”

GREAT FORM OF GÃœNDOGAN

The Norwegian Erling Haaland, top scorer in the Premier League with 36 goals, was more discreet in this final, beyond specific occasions without too much danger (16, 21).

But their captain Gündogan had already put the first goal on the scoreboard by then with a great half-volley with his right leg, direct to David de Gea’s left corner. With this target, the German achieves the fastest goal in the history of an FA Cup final, after the one achieved by the Frenchman Louis Saha with Everton in 2009, in a final that was finally lost against Chelsea (2-1).

With his contract about to expire and his future at City still up in the air, the German, who re-entered his team’s squad announced by Hansi Flick on Thursday, confirmed his great form, after having achieved two doubles and an assist in the games against Leeds (2-1) and Everton (3-0) in the championship, decisive to overcome Arsenal in the table.

The final will not leave great memories beyond Gündogan’s quick goal, but it served to demonstrate once again the power of Manchester City even without Haaland’s goals.

Guardiola, emotional after the final whistle, demonstrated with his tears the insatiable appetite of the citizens, who will seek to put the icing on the cake in seven days.

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