LONDON – All roads from Manchester lead to Wembley Stadium on Saturday for the first-ever FA Cup final between the city’s arch-rivals – a fitting climax to the domestic season and a clash loaded with significance for both clubs.
For Manchester City, an FA Cup triumph would give them a shot at repeating Manchester United’s treble of 1999 – the only season in which a club won the English Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
For United, it represents the chance to add the FA Cup to the League Cup they won in February – a domestic Cup double they have never achieved.
Having also finished third in the Premier League, it would represent an impressive first season at the helm for Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.
Another trophy is motivation enough for United, but stopping City’s march towards a treble that could be sealed a week later in Istanbul against Inter Milan will fuel their hunger.
Ten Hag, however, wants his team to focus only on themselves.
“It is a good test on Saturday. We want to win a Cup, it’s not about stopping them, it’s about we winning the Cup,” he said.
“We deserve that opportunity to be in a Cup final and meet Man City.
“We fought so hard for it. We progressed so well that we are in the FA Cup final. I think City do a very good job. They play very good football, they deserve (the plaudits).
“But we look to ourselves and you have to see where you are as a club and from there on, you have to make progress...
“I think we did over the last season, we are in a good direction.
“As I said last year, we want to restore Man United but we have a way to go.”
City’s domination of English football is such that United’s bragging rights in the city are severely diminished these days, although in terms of FA Cup wins there is still a chasm between them with United seeking a 13th trophy and City a seventh.
United have also won five of their last six FA Cup meetings with City but the last of those came in January 2012.
Ten Hag’s men will enter their 21st FA Cup final – the joint-most of any team in history alongside Arsenal – with confidence, after winning their last four Premier League matches to secure a Champions League spot next season.
“I have played many Cup finals in the Netherlands and they were always fantastic experiences,” added the United boss. “But Wembley is probably the best stadium in the world and to be there in a Cup final is really exciting.”
Anthony Martial is out with a hamstring injury, while Antony is unlikely to recover from an ankle issue.
City, driven by the chance of sporting immortality, will start favourites in the 142nd edition of the showpiece final.
But Guardiola will be wary of a United side to whom they lost 2-1 in January, avenging a 6-3 mauling in October.
The fact they ended the Premier League season with a draw and a defeat, having already wrapped up their fifth title in six seasons, will offer the Red Devils some room for optimism.
United’s treble-winning defender Gary Neville has urged his former team to rise to the occasion.
“Do I want City to win the treble? No! No! No! I don’t,” he said in The Times of London.
“Nobody wants City to win the treble if you’re a Manchester United fan.
“For me, (Guardiola) would be a worthy companion to Sir Alex (Ferguson) and his players would be worthy companions of our Manchester United treble team (if they win).
“Fingers crossed they lose though!”
With tens of thousands of fans descending on the capital and with rail strikes expected, the unique final will pose a logistical challenge.
The Metropolitan Police said on Thursday that 1,000 officers will be on duty.
On and off the pitch, Wembley is ready for the big showdown.
REUTERS
