Manchester City have made history in the oldest national football competition in the world, the FA Cup, claiming victory in the first ever all-Manchester decider.
732 teams entered and the Premier League champions finished up on top of this race as well, adding more silverware to their crowded trophy cabinet.
German attacker İlkay Gündoğan was the star of the show at Wembley Stadium, striking the first blow after just 12 seconds, the fastest ever goal in an FA Cup final, before banging home the winner in the second half.
Attention then turned to the Champions League final; the FA Cup win piling even more pressure on City than there was before the FA Cup decider. The Sky Blues had famously never won the major European title; enough for the side to concern over. But on top of that, the club had the chance to claim an historic title treble as well, like Aussie Ange Postecoglou has just managed to tick off in Scotland with Celtic.
And they have now done that too. This season belonged to Manchester City.
RESULT | The all-Manchester FA Cup Final
Manchester City 2 – 1 Manchester United
İlkay Gündoğan 1′, 51′, Bruno Fernandes 33′ (P)
When was the last time an English club won the treble?
1998-89 – Manchester United
How many teams have won the English football treble? Literally only one.
While Liverpool came kind of close last year, it’s extremely rare.
Somewhat ironically, City’s derby rival Manchester United are the only team that’s done the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup triple; back in 1998/99, which was the Sir Alex Ferguson era of course.
So Manchester City completed the treble for the first time in 24 years, beating Inter Milan 1-0.
How the teams got to the FA Cup final
Manchester City, despite an early scare, did it comfortably in their Semi Final matchup with Sheffield United, winning 3-0 thanks to a blistering Riyad Mahrez hat-trick (43′ [P], 61′, 66′).
It was a completely different story in the other final qualifier; Manchester United playing out a nervous and tense scoreless game against a Brighton & Hove Albion side that have been one of the stories of the English Football season. It took extra time and then penalties to seperate the clubs, with United prevailing 6-7 in a near faultless spot-kicking duel (watch the highlights).
When and where was the FA Cup Final?
The Final: Manchester City v Manchester United, Wembley Stadium, Sunday June 4, 12:00am AEST
The final was at midnight AEST early Sunday morning down under; a Saturday afternoon affair on London time. The winner crowned at England’s iconic Wembley Stadium.
How can I watch?
If you’re keen to watch the FA Cup from Australia, you can access all games live on Paramount+.
FA Cup Quarter & Semi Final results
Quarter Finals:
- Man City 6-0 Burnley | Sunday, 19 March
- Sheffield United 3-2 Blackburn Rovers | Sunday, 19 March
- Brighton 5-0 Grimsby Town | Monday, 20 March
- Man United 3-1 Fulham | Monday, 20 March
Semi Finals:
- Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United | Sunday, 23 April
- Manchester United 0-0 (6-7) Brighton & Hove Albion | Monday, 24 April
Who is the former champion?
Liverpool were the reigning champions of the FA Cup. The Reds’ defence ended after being knocked out by Brighton back in January.
Which club is the most successful in the FA Cup?
Arsenal, who currently sit at the top of the Premier League table, are the most successful club in the competition’s history. But like the reigning champs, they will not be able to win this year’s trophy after being knocked out by Manchester City in January.
What do you win if you win the FA Cup?
While the prize money feels like pennies compared to the Premier League and the Champions League, it can be huge for the smaller clubs who can enter the competition.
The winners of the 2023 competition will win £2m, while the runners up will receive £1m. Even the losers of the semi-final will still walk away with £500,000
Who was most likely to win the cup this year?
Manchester City were favourites, having been in blistering form right throughout the season across most competitions. City also claimed the Premier League race, battling Arsenal at the top.
Manchester City last won the FA Cup in 2019, while for United it was most recently back in 2016.
The other clubs that went deep were well and truly chasing history. Brighton and Fulham have never won the competition and most recently played in finals in 1983 and 1975, respectively. Burnley, who faced relegation at the end of the last Premier League season, were aiming to redeem themselves by winning their first FA Cup since 1914. Sheffield United and Blackburn are nearing 100 years since their last FA Cup win in 1925 and 1928, respectively, while Grimsby have never progressed past the semi-finals.