Kobbie Mainoo showed world-class ability in FA Cup Final victory | OneFootball

Manchester United delivered the performance of their lives to defeat Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final. A tumultuous season ended on a high as Erik ten Hag’s team lifted the FA Cup trophy.

Unlike many of their previous performances, Man United proved resilient both on the attack and in defence, exhibiting tight marking, great physicality, and fast counter-attacking football to keep their opponents under constant pressure.

Of course, this impressive victory would not have been possible without maintaining a solid midfield setup, with teenager Kobbie Mainoo forming a critical part of United’s lineup.

Completing 21 of his 25 passes for an 84% passing accuracy, Mainoo showed great quality on the ball throughout the encounter. His 21 passes are even more impressive when considering that he only had 31 touches of the ball in total.

Defensively, the youngster struggled, as he was only able to make one defensive action, namely a clearance. He also only won one of his four ground duels.

Although he attempted to show his physicality with a strong sliding tackle on Kevin de Bruyne in the second half, he was brandished a yellow card after the referee found his challenge to be rough.

Despite seeing little of the ball, Mainoo was able to complete his only dribbling attempt of the match. While certainly not one of United’s most advanced attacking players, the England international proved how clinical he can be no matter how little of the ball he sees.

In the 39th minute, Mainoo’s time to shine arrived. With United already one goal up, the youngster showed just how quickly he can jump into action and leave his mark on the game.

Bruno Fernandes had the ball in the centre of the pitch, glancing at Mainoo on his left before passing to Alejandro Garnacho on his right. As Garnacho cut into the box, he passed the ball back to Fernandes in the centre who knew that Mainoo had raced up to support him. With his first touch, he laid off the ball to Mainoo, who effortlessly slotted the ball into the net to double United’s lead.

Given his foul and the six times he lost possession, it certainly wasn’t Mainoo’s best performance of the season. Still, the 19 year old proved that you don’t always have to be at your best to lift your team to victory.

With limited time on the ball yet a crucial goal to his name, Mainoo proved how clinical he can be, ultimately becoming United’s game-changer at the highest level of world football.

Due to his creativity, energy, and high football IQ, it’s clear that Mainoo is a valuable United star who will no doubt help to build a promising future for the club so long as he continues to receive the nurturing and guidance he needs to continue developing on this promising path.

(Stats via Sofascore)

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