Reporting Sports in a refreshing style

History makers: Man City, Man U meet in FA Cup final in 151 years

 

New ground will be broken in the annals of English football on Saturday when Manchester United and Manchester City come face-to-face in the FA Cup final for the first time in the competition’s 151-year history.

With the Premier League title already in the bag, City have the second leg of a potential domestic and European treble on the line at Wembley. Meanwhile, United will be hoping to clinch a second domestic cup to pair with the 2023 Carabao Cup they lifted in February.

Given the nature of the fixture, the 2023 FA Cup final also marks the first major departure in over a century-and-a-half of rigid protocol, with the FA revealing that the official engravers have been able to begin work in advance this season by etching the word “Manchester” onto the trophy already. Only time will tell whether “United” or “City” will be tagged on after the final whistle.

READ ALSO FA Cup final: No. 2 GK Ortega to start for Man City

It may be the first meeting for the two teams in an FA Cup final, but the Manchester derby is a historic rivalry that spans well over 130 years, back to the Victorian era. Indeed, the first competitive Football League clash between the two neighbouring clubs came in November 1894, when United won 5-2 at City’s old Hyde Road ground in the Second Division.

Since then, the two Manchester rivals have met 189 times in men’s competitive fixtures, with United emerging victorious 78 times to City’s 58, along with 53 draws. A total of 535 goals have been scored, with United accounting for 271 and City 264.

Though United and City have met on 22 occasions in domestic cup competitions (including the Community Shield), the two sides have never contested a single cup final before. However, there have been nine cup semifinals contested since their first in 1929, with City winning six to United’s two and there being one draw.

United and City have contested some absolutely thrilling tussles in that time, with local bragging rights swapping hands over and over again.

 

 

You might also like

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.