Manchester City moved to within one victory of completing a momentous treble as they deservedly beat arch-rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final thanks to Ilkay Gundogan’s record-breaking double on Saturday.
City captain Gundogan scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history with a stunning volley after 12 seconds and struck what proved to be the winner seven minutes after halftime.
In doing so, the 32-year old, who is expected to leave Manchester City in the summer after seven trophy-laden years, became the oldest player to score an FA Cup final brace.
This was after Nat Lofthouse for Bolton Wanderers in 1958, also against Manchester United.
Manchester United were seeking to win both domestic cups in the same season for the first time in their history and wreck Manchester City’s hopes of emulating their own historic 1999 treble.
Manchester United looked to spoil the party for their ‘noisy neighbours’ after they had levelled with a 33rd-minute Bruno Fernandes penalty.
Pep Guardiola’s side resisted some late United pressure to win the trophy for a seventh time.
It is the 13th time the English league and FA Cup double has been achieved.
But Manchester City now wants more and travel to Istanbul to face Inter Milan, seeking to be crowned European champions for the first time and to equal United’s 1998/1999 Premier League/FA Cup/Champions League sweep under Alex Ferguson.
“Now we can talk about the treble,” Guardiola, who has won 11 trophies since arriving at Manchester City in 2016, said.
“Of course we still have to win the Champions League. We performed so well for our city and our fans. It was so important for us today. The FA Cup is so nice.”
For the first time in 190 meetings, the clubs were clashing for silverware, and not just bragging rights, and Wembley was decked in red and sky blue as fans braved rail strikes to descend en masse on the capital.
Smoke from the pre-match pyrotechnics had not even cleared when City took the lead in spectacular fashion.
Keeper Stefan Ortega’s long punt towards Erling Haaland and as the ball bounced into the path of Gundogan who did not hesitate to send a dipping right-foot volley arcing over a transfixed David de Gea.
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“The ball just was placed amazingly for me and I just had to hit it,” he said.
“Obviously it was quite a good strike and it went in and it was amazing.”
It eclipsed the previous fastest FA Cup final goal scored by Louis Saha after 25 seconds for Everton against Chelsea in 2009 and Manchester City threatened to run riot against a stunned United.
Rodri and Jack Grealish both failed to convert good chances in the opening five minutes in which United barely touched the ball.
Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne also went close for Manchester City before United were handed an unexpected gift.
United right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka headed a diagonal ball harmlessly across the area and as play continued referee Paul Tierney was instructed to check a pitch-side VAR monitor for a possible handball by Grealish.
It was extremely harsh on Grealish, but Tierney pointed to the spot and Fernandes calmly shuffled up to send Ortega the wrong way with his penalty.
The equaliser sparked wild celebrations at the east end of the stadium where Manchester United’s fans were packed.
Briefly United looked Manchester City’s match and Raphael Varane volleyed over from a corner as halftime approached.
But it proved an illusion. Manchester City needed slightly longer in the second half to re-establish their superiority and again it was Gundogan displaying his knack for scoring crucial goals.
This time he was picked out by De Bruyne’s chipped pass.
His left-foot volley, not struck anywhere near as perfectly as his earlier effort, bounced its way through a crowded area and crept inside De Gea’s right-hand post.
Gundogan was denied a hat-trick by an offside flag and as the minutes ticked down Manchester City looked edgy with United substitute Alejandro Garnacho curling a shot agonisingly wide.
Also a crazy goalmouth scramble in stoppage time ended with the ball bouncing off Manchester City’s crossbar.
For Manchester United, they can console themselves with a League Cup trophy in manager Erik Ten Hag’s encouraging first season and will hope Inter Milan can stop Manchester City next Saturday. (Reuters/NAN)
