Three things we learned as superb Manchester United beat Man City at Wembley to win the FA Cup | OneFootball

Manchester United made their way to Wembley to take on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

In what may have possibly been his last game as manager of United, Erik ten Hag fielded a very strong starting XI.

He named Andre Onana in goal with a defensive four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot ahead of him.

In midfield, Ten Hag deployed Kobbie Mainoo, Sofyan Amrabat, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay. Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were the team’s frontmen. Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 2-1 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City.

Carrington excellence

United headed into the break two goals up, courtesy of strikes from Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

Garnacho broke the deadlock in the 30th minute when he took advantage of a comical error between Stefan Ortega and Josko Gvardiol to tap the ball into the back of an empty net.

Mainoo doubled United’s advantage nine minutes later and the build-up to his goal was a thing of beauty. Some sensational play in the middle of the park saw Garnacho find himself with the ball on the right flank. The young Argentine passed it to Fernandes, who produced a sensational no-look pass to Mainoo. The England international made no mistake from close range to put his side 2-0 up.

In getting on the score sheet, Garnacho and Mainoo made a little bit of history.

The duo became the first teenagers to score in an FA Cup final since the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo for United against Milwall in 2004.

Even beyond their goals, the two were a constant pain in the backside of City throughout the opening 45 minutes especially.

Garnacho’s runs in-behind caused City all kinds of problems and Gvardiol in particular found it hard to contain the electric 19-year-old.

Meanwhile, Mainoo dominated in midfield – not an easy task considering he was up against the likes of Rodri, Kevin de Bruyne and Mateo Kovacic, who are considered to be some of the best players in the world in their respective positions.

During a troubled season, Mainoo and Garnacho have been two beacons of hope for United and the fans. It’s therefore fitting that both of them registered goals in the showpiece Wembley event.

A recent analysis covered by The Peoples Person noted that graduates of United’s prestigious Carrington academy have played the most minutes of any other Premier League academy in the 2023/24 season.

Against City, Mainoo and Garnacho proved again why Carrington is the foundation on which the club’s success is built.

Even Rashford – who has endured a nightmare campaign – and McTominay were brilliant and gave good accounts of themselves.

Martinez and Varane make a huge difference

Ten Hag had his preferred centre-back pairing of Martinez and Varane available against City and what a difference the two made!

All term, Ten Hag has repeatedly stated that most of United’s woes have been brought about by the absence of a consistent partnership at the heart of the backline.

Both Martinez and Varane have missed many games due to injuries. The two played a huge role in the success United enjoyed during Ten Hag’s maiden season in England and unsurprisingly, the team has suffered due to their non-involvement.

Against City, they were imperious and extremely solid. From the first minute when Martinez gave Erling Haaland a nudge during an aerial duel, they set the tone for the rest. It’s that same intensity and drive that United played with the entire match.

They barely allowed Haaland a sniff and apart from the time the Norwegian hit the woodwork in the second half, he barely laid a glove on Onana.

Martinez and Varane had an answer for most of the questions City posed. They were first to everything and could be seen constantly issuing instructions to those around them.

Martinez’s passing out from the back was also huge for the Red Devils and helped them advance the ball well higher up the pitch. The Argentina international was forced off in the 73rd minute with what seemed like an injury. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and he’s back in action sooner rather than later.

Sadly for United and their supporters, the FA Cup final was Varane’s last game for the club, following confirmation earlier this month that he’s set to leave Old Trafford.

It may still be a little bit too late for Ten Hag

United eventually ran out 2-1 winners and won the FA Cup but it may still not be enough to keep Ten Hag in the job.

Yesterday, a report from The Guardian stated that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are poised to sack the Dutchman in the coming days as they seek to kickstart the new era on a clean slate.

The 54-year-old coach has borne the brunt of the intense criticism and scrutiny directed at the club this season and he may pay the ultimate price despite attaining FA Cup glory.

United played well against City, were composed and outdid their cross-town rivals in almost every department but it’s likely that it came too late for Ten Hag and his coaching staff.

All eyes are now on the top brass and what course of action they choose to take.

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