The FA Cup final is always a special occasion, but this years edition promises to be an even more thrilling clash as Man City and Man United face each other in the final for the first time in the tournaments history.
The two rivals from the same city will battle it out at Wembley Stadium on 3rd June, with both teams aiming to lift the oldest and most prestigious trophy in English football. Manchester City has won the Premier League for the third consecutive time and fifth in the last six years. They are now chasing a historic treble. They have qualified for the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, but before that, they want to secure the double in the domestic competitions. Pep Guardiolas side has been dominant in English competitions, scoring 94 goals and conceding only 33 in 38 league games.
On the other hand, Erik ten Hag has managed to change Uniteds mentality. After Sir Alex Fergusons era, with a short break during José Mourinhos period, the Red Devils can be considered one of the biggest names in England once again. After beating Chelsea on 25th May, they returned to the CL after a one-year absence, and of course, their biggest success for this season up until this point is the win of the Carabao Cup.
So, this is more than a derby. This is about their pride and who is the boss of the town. This tactical analysis will preview the tactics that can be expected from both sides.
Head-to-head
Manchester City and Manchester United have met 189 times in all competitions, with United winning 78 times, City winning 58 times, while there have been 53 draws. However, City has had to manage to balance, winning nine of the last 18 meetings since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016.
The two teams have met nine times in the FA Cup, with United winning six times and City winning three. The last time they met in the competition was in the third round in 2012, when United won 3-2 thanks to two goals from Wayne Rooney and one from Danny Welbeck.
This year, Manchester City has managed to lead in almost all the categories that matter, including goals, goals conceded, expected goals, possession, passes, and more. The chart shows the comparison between the two finalists. Manchester City is better than United in all categories, except for recoveries per 90. Of course, City could not rank higher for this specific metric, as the team has the ball for most of the playing time.
Their last game on 14th January was a tactical masterclass by Erik ten Hag. The 2-1 win showcased his tactical intelligence as his team executed a well-designed strategy, preventing Citys players from playing their game.
One of Manchester Citys greatest strengths is overloading the centre of the pitch with three midfielders, inverted full-backs, inverted wingers, and recently, John Stones as a false centre-back. Additionally, their ability to progress the ball forward from the back, utilising the centre-backs, is another key point. Guardiola aims to build the teams positional attacks based on these principles. However, Erik ten Hags strategic plan for that specific match was to disrupt these functions.
First, Uniteds players attempted to deny any space for
