Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United: Ilkay Gundogan double secures FA Cup, keeps Treble dream alive

Ilkay Gundogan scored twice as Manchester City beat rivals Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley to lift the 2023 FA Cup and move within one win of securing a historic Treble.

Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions took the lead straight from the kick off as Gundogan volleyed into the top corner to net the fastest cup final goal in history after just 13 seconds.

The Citizens dominated for long periods but were pegged back just past the half hour when a VAR intervention led to a penalty being awarded for a harsh hand ball against Jack Grealish.

United skipper Bruno Fernandes stepped up and coolly levelled to ensure The Red Devils, perhaps somewhat fortuitously, were level heading into the break.

There was a more even feel to the encounter following the restart, but City reasserted their authority on 51 minutes when Gundogan guided another volley beyond a partially unsighted David De Gea from 25 yards.

United went close to a second leveller through Marcus Rashford, substitute Alejandro Garnacho and Raphael Varane but they could not find the goal to force extra time as City completed the domestic Double.

City will now turn their attention to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on June 10 as they bid to lift Europe’s premier competition for the first time in their history and emulate United’s Treble feat of 1999.

This was the first all-Manchester final in FA Cup history and it will long be remembered in the blue half of the city.

Not only did a seventh FA Cup secure the club’s second domestic Double, but it also denied Erik ten Hag a cup double that would have rubber-stamped the feeling The Red Devils have gained real impetus from his first campaign at the helm.

The bigger picture is that it could, of course, also be the second leg of a famous Treble for City, that would emulate United’s unique achievement in 1999 and is another reason why the Old Trafford side were so desperate to win this Wembley showdown.

As the Man City players celebrated in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle, Erling Haaland was caught by the TV mics shouting ‘one more, just one more’ to his team-mates. They know they are on the brink of something so rare and special now.

City brought Guardiola to the club to win the Champions League and after many years of frustration Haaland was seen by many as the missing piece of the jigsaw to claim that holy grail.

They have been close in the past, but with Inter Milan standing in their way next Saturday night, it’s hard to see anyone stopping this City team now.

The Citizens’ captain has been sensational in the run-in to this campaign, netting significant doubles against Leeds and Everton, and once again he delivered on the big stage here. Not only did he net two excellent volleys but his industry and creativity presented a continual problem for United throughout the final. The 32-year-old has regularly been linked with a move away from the Etihad this summer, but on current form you have to wonder if letting him go would be a big mistake.

MAN CITY: Ortega 7, Walker 8, Dias 8, Akanji 8, Stones 8, Rodri 8, Silva 7, De Bruyne 8, Gundogan 9, Grealish 7, Haaland 7. Subs: Foden 6, Ake n/a, Laporte n/a.

MAN UNITED: De Gea 5, Wan-Bissaka 7, Varane 7, Lindelof 6, Shaw 7, Casemiro 6, Eriksen 6, Fred 6, Fernandes 7, Rashford 6, Sancho 6. Subs: Garnacho 7, Weghorst 5, McTominay n/a.

01’ – GOAL! – Man United 0-1 Man City. Gundogan opens the scoring inside 15 seconds! The City skipper pings a volley into the top corner after United failed to deal with a long ball forward following the kick off.

33’ – GOAL! – Man United 1-1 Man City. Fernandes coolly sends Ortega the wrong way from the spot to pull The Red Devils level.

43’ – MAN UNITED CHANCE! Varane skews a volley wide of the far post after Man City were caught out by a flick-on from a right-wing delivery.

51’ – GOAL! – Man United 1-2 Man City. Gundogan volleys home from distance once again as his low 25-yard strike bobbles beyond a host of bodies and into the bottom corner from De Bruyne's clever free kick from the right.

69’ – MAN UNITED CHANCE! Rashford sizzles a 22-yard effort just over the crossbar. The Red Devils need to get their main man in and around goal far more if they are to rescue this final.

73’ – MAN UNITED CHANCE! Garnacho takes a pass in his stride as he races in from the left and curves a 20-yard shot just past the far post.

81’ – MAN CITY CHANCE! Akanji is a whisker away from sliding home at the far post after Bernardo Silva had driven a low cross-shot into the danger zone from the right side of the box.

90+2’ – MAN UNITED CHANCE! Ortega somehow blocks Varane from close range with McTominay's deflected header flying over after the initial effort had spun back off the top of the bar.

Gunodgan scored the fastest ever FA Cup final goal after just 13 seconds. He has beaten Louis Saha’s record of 25 seconds for Everton against Chelsea in 2009.

This is the first time in FA Cup final history that the starting captains for both sides have scored in the match.

Guardiola has become the third manager in English football to win the League and FA Cup Double in multiple seasons (also 2018-19) after Arsene Wenger (1997-98 and 2001-02) and Alex Ferguson (1993-94, 1995-96 and 1998-99).