Manchester City Nears Historic Treble with FA Cup Victory over Manchester United

Manchester City has moved closer to an unprecedented treble, securing the FA Cup to complement their Premier League trophy. The team triumphed over their rivals, Manchester United, 2-1 at Wembley, courtesy of Ilkay Gundogan’s brace, scored at the outset of each half.

The captain struck the first goal 12 seconds into the final, delivering a spectacular volleyed shot before many spectators had even settled into their seats. This set the tone for Manchester City’s eventual victory, with the team controlling the game for the rest of the first half.

Manchester United, however, were thrown a lifeline when VAR awarded a penalty in the 32nd minute. Jack Grealish was controversially penalized for a handball near the edge of the penalty area, and Bruno Fernandes stepped up to convert, drawing the score level at half-time.

Ilkay Gundogan was undoubtedly Manchester City’s star performer. He opened the second half with another well-executed volley in the 51st minute, restoring his team’s lead. There were further scoring opportunities for Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland, and Gundogan even netted another goal, which was ruled offside.

Although Manchester United showed improvement after bringing on Alejandro Garnacho, they could not penetrate Manchester City’s solid defense, and the Sky Blues clinched yet another title.

With the Champions League final against Inter Milan next Saturday, Manchester City aims to complete a historic treble. The only English club to have achieved this feat in the past is Manchester United, who failed to thwart their city rivals at Wembley.