The FA Cup is up for grabs on Saturday as Manchester City and Manchester United meet at Wembley for the second year in a row.
Although Manchester City may have been foiled in Europe this season, they once again have their eyes on complete domestic dominance.
Manchester City vs Manchester United Predictions
For everyone who looked to settle down on the settee last Sunday and imbibe everything that the final day of the Premier League title race had to offer, it is fair to say that everyone excluding Manchester City supporters would have felt a rapid sense of anti-climax.
A feeling that came as quick as the first 90 seconds of the final day of the 2023/24 campaign and with Phil Foden’s scorcher at the Etihad putting City 1-0 ahead at the expense of West Ham, another huge leap towards another Premier League title was being made.
Any real sense of jeopardy going into Sunday’s showpiece day was removed almost as quick as possible and although the Hammers did not completely roll over during David Moyes’ last managerial sortie, Arsenal fans and those wanting a different winner could only look on with envy.
That feeling of envy would have resonated in the red half of North London, it would have also resonated in the red half of Manchester and as Pep Guardiola’s men were scooping up a fourth successive Premier League crown, their crosstown rivals were toiling to their worst ever finish.
Although Manchester United managed to pick up a 2-0 win at Brighton that same final Sunday of the season, there was a sense of end of term at The Amex and this was due to Roberto De Zerbi imminent departure from East Sussex.
Victory on the South Coast for United but one that would only secure eighth place in the Premier League’s final standings. A finish that as things stand would not be enough to deliver European football to the Theatre of Dreams next season.
With that being said, the Red Devils are not out of the European conversation just yet and if they were to get the better of their noisy neighbours at Wembley on Saturday, it would be Manchester rather than Newcastle United that would be on the continent in the early autumn.
A scenario that may be the difference between Erik ten Hag staying in gainful employment or not and even if the formbook is thrown out of the window in this season’s FA Cup final, some feel that the damage to the Dutchman’s managerial tenure has already been done.
Damage that came from United’s previous trip to Wembley and even though they managed to dispose of Championship outfit Coventry, they did so in the most difficult way possible. Were it not for a dodgy VAR call that afternoon, this year’s cup final pairing would look rather different.
But now it is time for the first of my two tips, and I am going to go for a Manchester City win as Pep’s men complete the double double. I am backing a regulation win in 90 minutes and by the margin of a single goal. This victorious outcome is currently priced at odds of 10/3.
In addition to this, I am going to focus on the first five minutes of the game and the first set piece to be awarded. If a corner for either side is the first reason for the flow of the game to come to a halt, the payout is a rather tempting price of 10/1.
