Reuniting under the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium for a rematch of last year's Manchester derby showdown, fierce rivals Manchester City and Manchester United clash in the 143rd FA Cup final this Saturday.
The Sky Blues aim to defend England's oldest trophy and secure it for the eighth time in their history, while United seek revenge and are determined to claim the prestigious prize for a record 13th time.
Pep Guardiola's side, currently on a club-record 35-game unbeaten streak across all competitions (since early December), are optimistic about their chances against their Manchester rivals, having already beaten them twice in the Premier League this season (3-0 at Old Trafford in October and 3-1 at the Etihad in March). The last time City triumphed over United three times in a single campaign was in 1969-70.
All in all, United have lost six of their last seven meetings with City, conceding 21 goals, including three consecutive defeats. Still, they have won five of their last seven FA Cup encounters with City, though both losses in this run were at Wembley, including last season's final, where Ilkay Gundogan's brace led to a 2-1 defeat for Ten Hag's side.
A year ago, Manchester City were on the brink of a historic treble, with both the team and its stars shattering numerous records. Although their hopes of retaining the Champions League ended in an emotionally draining penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, they remain poised to make domestic history once again within just six days.
Despite a strong push from Arsenal, who challenged City to the final day, The Sky Blues secured the Premier League title by defeating West Ham 3-1 in a jubilant atmosphere at the Etihad on Sunday. A precious victory that made them the first club in English top-flight history to win four consecutive titles.
The Citizens got off to a flying start with Premier League Player of the Season Phil Foden scoring twice within the first 18 minutes, including a stunning opener in the second minute. Mohammed Kudus's spectacular bicycle kick just before half-time was West Ham's only highlight in an otherwise dominant display by City. Rodri sealed the victory and the title with a long-range strike just before the hour mark.
Pep Guardiola's relentless drive has been the cornerstone of City's sustained success, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest coaches in the history of football. With six Premier League titles and 17 trophies in total during his eight-year tenure, Guardiola was named Premier League Manager of the Season. However, the Spaniard has hinted at the possibility of leaving when his contract expires in 2025, stating he is "closer to leaving than staying."
Gary Lineker reminded Guardiola last weekend that Manchester City could make further history by winning the FA Cup, as no team in English football has ever won both the top-flight title and FA Cup in consecutive seasons. Achieving this feat would mark City's third league and FA Cup double, a record shared only with Manchester United and Arsenal.
Arsenal was the last team to win back-to-back FA Cups in 2014 and 2015 and holds a record 14 FA Cup trophies. Manchester United follows with 12, while Manchester City could join Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur with eight triumphs if they win this weekend.
Since their 3-2 loss to Liverpool in the 2022 FA Cup semi-finals, City have won 11 consecutive FA Cup ties, scoring 34 goals and conceding only five. This season, they have defeated Huddersfield Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Luton Town, Newcastle United, and Chelsea to reach the final, narrowly beating Chelsea 1-0 in the semi-finals thanks to a deflected strike from Bernardo Silva.
City's only injury concern is Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, who fractured his eye socket against Spurs. However, Stefan Ortega is set to deputize and would have likely started anyway, having played in all five of City's FA Cup contests this season.
Even though John Stones and Nathan Ake are both pushing for a recall in defense, the back four of skipper Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol is expected to remain unchanged, supported by midfield lynchpin Rodri, who boasts the record for the longest unbeaten run (74 games) in club football history.
The Man City boss may consider recalling Mateo Kovacic to partner Rodri in the middle of the park or opt for an additional attacker as he did against West Ham last time out, where Jeremy Doku started on the flank.
Elsewhere, playmaker Kevin De Bruyne as well as Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are all likely to retain their places in the final third behind centre-forward Erling Haaland, who is just one goal behind Ellis Simms and Sammie Szmodics (both with six) in the race for the FA Cup Golden Boot.
Despite being firm favorites for Saturday's FA Cup final, Guardiola's Cityzens cannot discount Manchester United in a derby, especially with so much at stake for the Red Devils and their manager, Erik ten Hag, who faces increasing pressure after a largely disappointing 2023-24 season.
Indeed, there are growing rumors that Erik ten Hag will be relieved of his duties even if the Dutchman guides the Red Devils to their first FA Cup success in eight years. Ironically, another Dutch manager in Louis van Gaal led Manchester United when they last won the trophy in 2015-16, only to be dismissed just 24 hours after his side claimed a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Manchester United are entering their record 22nd FA Cup final, needing a victory to qualify for next season's Europa Conference League after finishing eighth in the Premier League, their lowest-ever finish. This follows victories over Newcastle United and Brighton.
Four days after a thrilling 3-2 win over Newcastle at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag's side clinched a 2-0 victory at Brighton, courtesy of second-half goals from Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund. However, this was insufficient to surpass Newcastle, who secured seventh place with a 4-2 win over Brentford on the final weekend of the season.
Ten Hag has pointed to injuries and illness as factors affecting his team this season, but these do not excuse the poor performances across various competitions. The Red Devils recorded a club-record 14 Premier League defeats and ended with a -1 goal difference for the first time in 34 years, amassing only 60 points, their second-lowest total in a 38-game campaign.
After winning the League Cup last season, United were eliminated in the fourth round this year by Newcastle, losing 3-0 at Old Trafford. Furthermore, their Champions League campaign was even more disastrous, finishing last in their group (behind FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray) with just one win. The FA Cup has been the sole bright spot, though not without struggles.
United narrowly defeated lower-league sides Wigan Athletic and Newport County in the early FA Cup rounds, before a late Casemiro header secured a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the fifth round. In a thrilling quarter-final, they beat rivals Liverpool 4-3 after extra time. They then faced Championship side Coventry City in the semi-finals, nearly squandering a 3-0 lead before winning on penalties, embarrassed by their narrow escape.
Ten Hag has vowed to "fight for the FA Cup" to end a challenging season on a high, but even winning might not secure his job ahead of expected changes by minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The Dutchman confirmed that England defender Harry Maguire will miss the final. His international teammate Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are also sidelined, while Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount, and Anthony Martial, whose contract expires, have trained and may return to the matchday squad.
Raphael Varane, recovering from a muscle issue, appeared as a substitute last weekend and hopes to play at Wembley in his final game for Man United before departing this summer. If the experienced Frenchman is not fit to start, Casemiro might continue at center-back alongside Jonny Evans or Lisandro Martinez, who returned from injury to start against Brighton for the first time since February.
Rasmus Hojlund, having scored as a substitute in United's last two top-flight games, is pushing for a starting spot and will most likely replace Scott McTominay, with Bruno Fernandes returning to the number 10 role.
Marcus Rashford, omitted from England's provisional Euro 2024 squad, will compete with Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho for a starting position on the wing.
Manchester City: Stefan Ortega - Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol - Rodri, Mateo Kovacic - Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden - Erling Haaland. (4-2-3-1)
Manchester United: Andre Onana - Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka - Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro - Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo - Rasmus Hojlund. (4-2-3-1)
The Red Devils' recent back-to-back league victories have boosted their morale ahead of Saturday's Manchester derby. With Ten Hag's squad eager to defeat their bitter rivals, win silverware, and secure European qualification, they certainly have the motivation. However, can anyone sensibly bet against the unstoppable force that is Manchester City?
Pep Guardiola's side have once again demonstrated in recent weeks - both in the crucial Premier League match against Tottenham and in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea - that they don't need to be at their peak to prevail when it counts.
The relentless Cityzens are nearly at full strength and currently performing at a level superior to their neighbors. As the clear favorites, Guardiola's men are expected to outscore their opponents and retain the FA Cup.
