In a repetition of last season’s scenario, Manchester City and Manchester United are set to clash once more at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final. The Citizens are aiming to achieve a double triumph, whereas the Red Devils are under pressure to emerge victorious in order to clinch a spot in European football for the upcoming season.
We examine both teams journey to this point, suggesting a bet on the outcome.
On the outright front, Manchester City have shortened to 1/6 favourites to successfully defend the cup, with Manchester United priced at 9/2 to go one better from last season this time round.
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MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED – Click here to bet
It has been another outstanding season for Manchester City. Arsenal’s title challenge brought out the best in City, fuelling their impressive form leading up to this point. Since their defeat in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Real Madrid, City have been unstoppable, with 7 consecutive wins and 5 clean sheets.
Last season, City triumphed over local rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup Final, with İlkay Gündoğan scoring twice on the way to their historic treble. Now, a year later, City remains focused on more silverware, aiming for the elusive double. With a squad full of talent, City will be formidable this weekend, boosted by the presence of golden boot winner Erling Haaland (27 goals in the EPL, 36 overall) and local sensation Phil Foden, crowned player of the season (3 goals in his last 3 appearances).
Fresh from securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title, City now aim to make history with back-to-back FA Cup victories for the first time ever. Their cup run this season has been impressive, scoring 15 goals at an average of 3 per game and keeping clean sheets in 80% of their matches. In their most recent FA Cup encounter, they clinched a 1-0 win over Chelsea, solidifying their place in this season’s final and marking consecutive clean sheets against Premier League opposition along the way.
Road to the final:
Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield, Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City, Luton Town 2-6 Manchester City, Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle United, Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea
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Meanwhile, the Red Devils are aware that this season’s FA Cup represents their sole avenue to securing European football next season. Despite closing out their Premier League campaign with a victory over Brighton on the final day, they stumbled to an uncharacteristic 8th-place finish, marking their lowest-ever standing in a Premier League season.
Having finished as runners-up to the Citizens in last season’s FA Cup Final, there’s no doubt that Manchester United will be eager to silence their ‘noisy neighbours’ this time around. With Manchester draped in blue for quite some time now, the United faithful will be hoping for a change of colour come the final whistle this Saturday.
With Marcus Rashford currently out of favour with the boss, Rasmus Højlund will likely start upfront and will need to be at his best if United are to trouble City’s recently impenetrable defence this weekend. Having found the net 16 times overall this season, the Austrian forward will be keen on extending his tally in the hopes of outperforming his Scandinavian rival, Erling Haaland.
With so much at stake this weekend, the Red Devils know that anything less than FA Cup silverware will result in their absence from Europe next season. For a club of United’s stature, it would spell disaster, potentially jeopardizing Erik Ten Hag’s future with the club. Despite scoring 14 times en route to the final, averaging 2.8 goals per game in their cup run, it’s their defensive frailties that are cause for concern, having conceded 8 goals along the way, with 6 of those coming in their last two FA Cup appearances. Requiring a penalty shootout in the previous round after going 3-0 up against Coventry City would have certainly raised a few alarm bells. Thankfully, Harry Maguire is rumoured to return from injury in time for the final. His experience at the back will provide a welcome relief for all involved.
Road to the final:
Wigan Athletic 0-2 Manchester United, Newport County 2-4 Manchester United, Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester United, Manchester United 4-3 Liverpool, Coventry 3-3 Manchester United (won 4-2 on penalties).
Head-to-Head:
Manchester City completed the double over their local rivals, Manchester United, with a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford and a 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium in the EPL this season. Additionally, City emerged victorious with a 2-1 win in this fixture last season, when they were crowned FA Cup winners on the day.
Verdict:
Manchester City have consistently outperformed United lately and seem poised to add to their rivals’ woes this weekend. Phil Foden has a knack for scoring against the Red Devils,
with 6 goals in his last 4 matches against them. At odds of 23/20, he appears to be a solid option considering his current form.
Despite City’s impressive defensive capabilities of late, this is a Manchester derby after all and should be fraught with drama given the magnitude of the occasion. With so much pressure on United to perform, I think they will find the net, but unfortunately for them, City’s class should prevail once again overall.
Suggested Bets:
Anytime Goalscorer, Phil Foden at 23/20
Result and Both Teams to score, Manchester City and Yes at 13/8
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
