This year’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City could be one of the most memorable in recent years. FA Cup finals rarely live up to their place as a showpiece event and are often cagey (or one-sided) affairs, but the fact that Pep Guardiola’s men will be aiming to stay on course for a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble keeps the interest high.
Their cross-city rivals are the only English side to complete that particular feat and, as well as winning a cup double of their own following their League Cup triumph earlier this year, can stop City from matching their historic achievement. Marcus Rashford has warned his United team-mates that it is imperative they dent City’s Treble bid – and preserve their own unique place in history.
Premier League champions City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final the Saturday after the FA Cup final.
Rashford says it is vital United preserve the legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1998-99 Treble winners by toppling Guardiola’s side.
“Making sure Man United remain the only English club to have done the Treble? That’s the most important thing,” Rashford said.Rashford was named the United players’ player of the year and the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, which is voted for by the fans, at the club’s end-of-season awards ceremony on Monday night after bouncing back from the worst year of his career to score 30 goals this term.
The England striker believes he should have scored more and is aiming to eclipse that tally next season, even if Saturday presents a final opportunity to swell his numbers.
“I feel I should have scored a few more but, you know, there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I’m pleased with how it went but I’m looking forward to improving and hopefully getting better numbers in that next season.”
United have been dealt a blow ahead of the final with Rashford’s fellow attacker Anthony Martial ruled out of the game with a hamstring tear.
Martial suffered the problem towards the end of Sunday’s 2-1 win over Fulham, with scans subsequently revealing he has sustained a tear.
United already had fitness doubts over Antony, who is in a race to overcome an ankle injury.Erik ten Hag has promised that his side will “give everything” to dent Manchester City’s Treble bid and secure a second piece of silverware this season.
United overcame Brighton in a tense penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw at Wembley to set up a first all-Manchester FA Cup final on June 3.
Ten Hag will be bidding to add the FA Cup to the League Cup already won in his first season in charge at Old Trafford. But victory over City would also stop City from equalling United’s achievement of 1999 in winning a treble of Premier League title, FA Cup and Champions League.
“We will give everything and when I say everything, that is everything,” the United manager said. “So the fans can rely on that – that we will give it and do it against every opponent.
“But, of course, we want to give that against City. We want to give the fans that, for sure.”
City, who beat Sheffield United to reach the Cup final, have wrapped up the League title and the FA Cup final will be the second leg of their big to win the Treble — a feat achieved only once by an English team, United in 1999. Ten Hag, whose side beat City 2-1 in the League in January, admitted his team will have to play “the perfect game” to beat Pep Guardiola’s men again.
“We are proof, proof that we could beat them but then we have to play the perfect game,” he said. “I think that [in January] was the perfect game we played this season, but we have to go again.”This is City's 12th FA Cup final, winning six and losing five of the previous eleven. They've alternated between losing and winning in their last four, most recently beating Watford 6-0 in 2019.
● United are contesting their 21st FA Cup Final, the joint-most of any side in the history of the competition along with Arsenal. They've won the trophy 12 times, with their eight final defeats the joint-most of any side along with Chelsea and Everton.
● Following their Premier League title win, City could win the league and FA Cup double for the second time in their history, after 2018-19. They would be the third team to do so on more than occasion after Manchester United (1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99) and Arsenal (1970-71, 1997-98, 2001-02).
● Having already won the League Cup against Newcastle this season, Manchester United are looking to win both major domestic cup competitions in a single season for the first time. They would be the fifth different side overall to achieve this, after Arsenal (1992-93), Liverpool (2000-01 and 2021-22), Chelsea (2006-07) and Manchester City (2018-19).
● City are yet to concede a goal in this season's FA Cup. In the Football League era (since 1888-89), only two teams have won the trophy without conceding a goal – Preston North End in 1889 and Bury in 1903.
● City are the highest scorers in this season's FA Cup (first round onwards) with 17 goals. The last team to score more in a single campaign were the Citizens themselves, netting 26 en-route to lifting the trophy in 2019.● Having won 3-1 in each round from the third to the quarter-final in this season's FA Cup, United reached the final by beating Brighton on penalties after a 0-0 draw. No team has ever been involved in a shootout in both the semi-final and final within the same FA Cup campaign before.
● United boss Erik ten Hag will be the fourth different Dutch manager to take charge of a team in an FA Cup Final, after Ruud Gullit (W1 L1), Guus Hiddink (W1) and Louis van Gaal (W1).
● Spanish managers have won the FA Cup on four occasions - Rafael Benítez with Liverpool in 2006, Roberto Martínez with Wigan in 2013, Mikel Arteta with Arsenal in 2020 and City's Pep Guardiola in 2019. The only Spanish manager to lose an FA Cup final was Javier Gracia with Watford, who lost to compatriot Guardiola in 2019.
● In their 3-0 semi-final win over Sheffield United, Riyad Mahrez became the first Manchester City player to score a hat-trick at Wembley Stadium. Overall he's scored four times at Wembley for City, with only Sergio Agüero netting more for theCitizens at the ground (6).
● Marcus Rashford and Casemiro were on target for Manchester United in their League Cup final win against Newcastle. There have been five players to score in both major domestic cup finals for the Red Devils – Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Brian McClair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard.
● Erling Haaland has scored 52 goals in all competitions for Manchester City so far this season – he could become the first ever Norwegian player to score in the FA Cup Final.
● Kevin De Bruyne is the only Manchester City player who scored in their 6-0 FA Cup final victory over Watford in 2019 still at the club. He could become the second player to score in two different FA Cup Finals for the club, after Bobby Johnstone (1955 and 1956).
● Since his FA Cup debut for the club in 2019, Riyad Mahrez has scored more goals in the competition proper than any other player (11). He's scored five so far this season – the last time a City player scored more in a single season was in 1933-34 (Fred Tilson, 9).
