In a massive David vs Goliath contest at Wembley Stadium yesterday, underdogs Manchester United pulled off a shock win over their fiercest rivals Manchester City to lift their 13th FA Cup trophy. It was a truly memorable day for the Red Devils as their resolute defence frustrated the Premier League champions throughout the contest before eventually emerging victorious on penalties.
United manager Erik ten Hag made some astute tactical tweaks which played a key role in his side's triumph. Starting his preferred centre-back partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane kept City's dangerous attackers quiet for most part of the game. The Argentine defender in particular was rock solid at the heart of defence and restricted City's penetrations into the final third. His absence due to injury when he left the pitch clearly affected United's shape at the back.
In attack, captain Bruno Fernandes was deployed in an unconventional ‘false 9' role which worked wonders. Dropping deep into midfield, he linked up play superbly and also got into goalscoring positions. It was his clever disguised pass that set up Kobbie Mainoo's goal to double United's lead. With Fernandes floating all over the pitch, he ensured City midfield general Rodri had little influence on proceedings.
City undoubtedly started as favourites given their domestic dominance this season. However, they seemed to run out of gas in the latter stages. Their attackers Haaland and Alvarez missed gilt-edged chances while influential creators like De Bruyne and Foden fell short of their irreplicable best. As a result, United's pacy wide forwards like Garnacho and Rashford gave the City defence nightmares on the counter.
It was a true fairytale win for the red half of Manchester against the odds. Under Ten Hag, United showed they still have the ability to dig deep and produce magical moments on the biggest stages. Now they will hope this victory acts as a catalyst for a revival next season.
