Gundogan’s double secures FA Cup win, Manchester City eye Treble
Manchester City triumphed over Manchester United with a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup final, keeping their Treble dream alive. Ilkay Gundogan set a new record by scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup final history, only 12 seconds into the match at Wembley. The City captain’s stunning volley took United by surprise, but the latter managed to equalise in the 33rd minute, when Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot following a contentious VAR decision to penalise Jack Grealish for handball. This marked the first goal City had conceded in the entire competition.
During the goal celebrations, Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof seemed to be struck in the face by an object thrown from the stands. Gundogan scored his second goal of the day six minutes into the second half, restoring City’s lead with another volley. However, his attempt at a hat-trick was ruled offside.
Despite a few close calls from United, the Premier League champions held on to secure a domestic cup double. After the match, City’s coach Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport, “We can now talk about the Treble. Of course, we still have to win the Champions League. It was so important for us today. The FA Cup is so nice.”
Over 80,000 fans from Manchester were present at Wembley to witness the historic match between the city’s two renowned clubs. City supporters now look forward to the Champions League Final against Inter Milan in Istanbul next Saturday, hoping to match United’s 1999 achievement of winning the Treble – the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Manchester United’s captain, Fernandes, expressed his disappointment to BBC Sport, saying, “Everyone is down, and it’s really difficult. We wanted to end the season in a different way, but it wasn’t possible.” He added that the team has made significant progress and will aim for bigger trophies next season.
Manchester City last won the FA Cup in 2019 with a 6-0 victory over Watford.
