With two volleys from Gündogan, including the fastest goal in cup final history, Manchester City captured their second FA Cup under Pep Guardiola (2-1) and are just one game away, the Champions League final against Inter Milan, to become the second England team in history to win the treble.
In seven days, Guardiola’s team, arguably the most dominant in English football, will have a chance to match Manchester United’s 1999 achievement. Inter will have the last word, after United lost the chance to put the executioner to the ‘Sky Blues’ historic season.
In an already unbalanced final, Erik Ten Hag’s men’s on-pitch performance didn’t help, conceding the earliest goal in FA Cup final history. , there was a throw from Stefan Ortega, an extension from Haaland, an erratic clearance from Lindelof and a volley to the team from Ilkay Gündogan. Thirteen seconds and United had already shot themselves in the foot.
And three minutes later he had to be thankful that the final wasn’t closed yet, as a header from Rodri and a shot from De Bruyne could quickly seal the trophy.
It would have been the natural outcome of the game, as United weren’t even there, until VAR snapped them out of stupor with a move practically nobody saw.
Bruno Fernandes put in a cross at the far post, Wan-Bissaka won with a header and the leather hit Jakc Grealish’s hand. A few seconds went by with no one claiming anything until the referee stopped the match having received the VAR notice. Visit to the screen and penalty for United. Fernandes did not miss from the penalty spot, which gave United an undeserved extra ball.
It wasn’t long before he lost her. Minutes into the second half, De Bruyne brought up Guardiola’s sign and United’s lack of learning in a lateral free-kick. The Belgian served the ball to Gundogan up front and the German, with a less clean shot than the first, took a volley after which De Gea, somewhat covered, was able to do much more.
The Spanish goalkeeper made amends by avoiding Haaland’s goal, in a good stop under the Norwegian’s shot from the penalty spot, but the general feeling was that the final had gone into that second volley from Gündogan.
Rashford and a refreshed Alejandro Garnacho tried with two shots from the perimeter, also Scott McTominay with a header against the crossbar at the last minute, but no surprise, City, the favourites, won their seventh FA Cup, with the breaks the tie with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United in the list of winners and is tied with Aston Villa.
It is City’s second FA Cup since Guardiola was here, following the one they clinched in 2019 by beating Javi Gracia’s Watford.
After some festivities that seem brief due to the importance of what lies ahead, City are starting to prepare for the attack on Saturday’s Champions League final in Istanbul against Inter Milan.
They already have the Premier League and the FA Cup in their pocket, now the biggest prize is there; the ‘Orejona’ and the legendary record of its neighbours.
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
