Man City beats Man United in FA Cup final to complete second leg of treble bid
LONDON (AP) — Manchester City’s mission to win a treble of major trophies stayed on track after beating Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup nal yesteday, with the rst of Ilkay Gundogan’s two goals coming after a record 13 seconds.
With City having already retained the Premier League, now only a rst-ever Champions League title stands between Pep Guardiola’s team and immortality in English soccer.
Gundogan, City’s captain, scored the quickest goal in an FA Cup nal — timed by British broadcaster BBC at 12.91 seconds — only for United mid elder Bruno Fernandes to convert a 33rd-minute penalty against the run of play after Jack Grealish was adjudged to have handled the ball.
If Gundogan’s opener was probably his best goal for City, his 51st-minute winning goal might be one of his scrappiest as he met a cross from Kevin De Bruyne from a free kick with a left-foot volley that bobbled between two United defenders and past goalkeeper David De Gea.
United was looking to protect its proud status as the only team to win the league-FA Cup-European Cup treble, in 1999, but needs a favor from Inter Milan in the Champions League nal in Istanbul on June 10.
It was the 142nd FA Cup nal and the rst between the two Manchester clubs, with Prince William and United great David Beckham among those in attendance at England’s national stadium.
City’s class of 2023 became the 13th team in English soccer history to clinch a league-and-cup double while the Abu Dhabi-controlled team won a 16th trophy since 2011, when City ended its 35year title drought by winning the FA Cup.
It was the 13th trophy in Guardiola’s seven years at the club and the 34th of his managerial career.
The latest haul of trophies comes in the same season that the club was charged by the Premier League with more than 100 breaches of nancial rules. City denies the charges.
After the nal whistle, City’s players ran from the halfway line and jumped for joy in front of their fans waving blue and white ags.
Right at the heart of the celebrations was Gundogan, who might leave City after the Champions League nal because he is out of contract. He would depart as a club great.
In City’s nal game of last season, he scored two late goals to complete a turnaround from 2-0 down against Aston Villa and clinch the Premier League with a 3-2 win.
The Germany mid elder has been arguably City’s star performer in the nal stretch of this season, too, and gave City that stunning start after taking the kicko himself.
He passed the ball back to goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, who booted it forward for Erling Haaland to ick on. United defender Victor Lindelof could only partially clear to Gundogan, who volleyed in right-footed from the edge of the area.
United was looking to clinch a double of domestic trophies in Erik ten Hag’s
rst year in charge, having won the League Cup in February, but more importantly ensure its class of 1999’s legacy was preserved.
Ten Hag’s team was dominated, though, until the last 10 minutes when substitute Alejandro Garnacho caused havoc down United’s left wing. He instigated a chance in stoppage time that saw Raphael Varane bundle the ball onto the top of the crossbar before City cleared. AP