Manchester United saved their best performance of a mediocre season to the very end to deprive their rivals of the double.
With speculation swirling about the future of manager Erik ten Hag, United ripped up the form book as they upset Manchester City to win the FA Cup with a shock 2-1 victory in Saturday’s final.
Ten Hag was reportedly set to be dismissed re-gardless of the result at Wembley after a troubled campaign that even the United manager described as “terrible” this week.
But United’s hierarchy might be having second thoughts after Ten Hag’s tactical masterclass ruined City’s history bid.
City were hot favourites to win a second successive Premier League and FA Cup double. Yet Ten Hag found a way to neutralise Pep Guar-diola’s side as first half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo put United on course to win the FA Cup for a 13th time.
They had to endure a second-half siege, how-ever, as City swarmed forward and a late goal by Jeremy Doku set up a nerve-shredding finale before United could celebrate their first FA Cup final triumph for eight years.—AFP
