Grealish and Dias both return after missing the last two league games with slight niggles whilst De Bruyne also comes back after sitting out last week’s 1-0 loss at Brentford in our final Premier League game of the season.
Also returning to the side from the team that figured in west London are Stefan Ortega, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodrigo, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland.
Kyle Walker retains his place in defence whilst Nathan Ake is amongst those who revert to the bench.
Teams
CITY XI: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
Subs: Ederson, Phillips, Ake, Laporte, Alvarez, Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Lewis
UNITED XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw, Casemiro, Fred, Eriksen, Fernandes (c), Rashford, Sancho
Subs: Butand, Lalacia, Maguire, Dalot, McTominay, Weghorst, Pellistri, Elanga, Garnacho
Probable formation and tactics
It looks as though Pep is poised to deploy a 4-3-3 formation for this afternoon’s showpiece occasion – though as always such is City’s tactical flexibility and fluidity that could be subject to change.
Stefan Ortega will line up in goal as he has done all throughout this season’s FA Cup campaign where he and City are yet to concede a goal.
The back four is expected to see Walker at right back, Dias and Stones in central defence with Akanji likely to feature at left back.
Rodrigo will be the holding midfielder with skipper Gundogan and De Bruyne also operating in the engine room.
Upfront, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva are set to figure on either flank while Erling Haaland will be deployed as City’s striking focal point.
History in the making
Any Manchester derby is guaranteed to whet the appetite, but it’s fair to say a first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final has truly captured global attention.
Having already been crowned Premier League champions, City now have the chance to seal what would only be the second domestic league and cup double in the Club’s long and proud history, following our achievement in 2018/19 when we also lifted the Carabao Cup just for good measure.
And with a Champions League final against Inter to follow in Istanbul next Saturday it would also leave Pep Guardiola’s side still firmly on course to secure the incredible Treble of league, FA Cup and European Cup – ironically a feat that so far has only been achieved by United back in 1999.
Erik ten Hag’s side meanwhile have already tasted success at Wembley this season, having lifted the Carabao Cup back in February after a 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
And the men from Old Trafford also secured their place in next season’s Champions League after finishing the Premier League campaign in third place.
It means all the portents are firmly in place for what should be one of the most memorable and significant derbies in the long, illustrious history of the famous fixture.
And if City are in need of any encouraging omens, the only other time we have met United in the FA Cup – back in the 2011 semi-final – we emerged victorious, with Yaya Toure’s strike securing a famous 1-0 triumph.
Stats and facts
●This is the first ever major final between Manchester City and Manchester United.
● Manchester United have won five of their last six FA Cup meetings with City, most recently a 3-2 away win in January 2012. The only exception in that run was a semi-final victory for City in 2010-11.
● This will be the third meeting between City and United at Wembley Stadium, with the other two both coming in 2011. City won an FA Cup semi-final tie 1-0, while the Red Devils won 3-2 in the Community Shield.
● This is City’s 12th FA Cup final, winning six and losing five of the previous 11. We’ve alternated between losing and winning in their last four, most recently beating Watford 6-0 in 2019.
● United are contesting their 21st FA Cup final, the joint-most of any side in the history of the competition along with Arsenal. They’ve won the trophy 12 times, with their eight final defeats the joint-most of any side along with Chelsea and Everton.
● Following our Premier League title win, City could win the league and FA Cup double for the second time in our history, after 2018-19. We would be the third team to do so on more than occasion after Manchester United (1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99) and Arsenal (1970-71, 1997-98, 2001-02).
● Having already won the League Cup against Newcastle this season, United are looking to win both major domestic cup competitions in a single season for the first time. They would be the fifth different side overall to achieve this, after Arsenal (1992-93), Liverpool (2000-01 and 2021-22), Chelsea (2006-07) and City (2018-19).
● City are yet to concede a goal in this season’s FA Cup. In the Football League era (since 1888-89), only two teams have won the trophy without conceding a goal – Preston North End in 1889 and Bury in 1903.
● City are the highest scorers in this season’s FA Cup (first round onwards) with 17 goals. The last team to score more in a single campaign were the Citizens themselves, netting 26 en route to lifting the trophy in 2019.
● Having won 3-1 in each round from the third to the quarter-final in this season’s FA Cup, Manchester United reached the final by beating Brighton on penalties after a 0-0 draw. No team has ever been involved in a shootout in both the semi-final and final within the same FA Cup campaign before.
● United boss Erik ten Hag will be the fourth different Dutch manager to take charge of a team in an FA Cup final, after Ruud Gullit (W1 L1), Guus Hiddink (W1) and Louis van Gaal (W1).
● Spanish managers have won the FA Cup on four occasions - Rafael Benítez with Liverpool in 2006, Roberto Martínez with Wigan in 2013, Mikel Arteta with Arsenal in 2020 and Man City‘s Pep Guardiola in 2019. The only Spanish manager to lose an FA Cup final was Javier Gracia with Watford, who lost to compatriot Guardiola in 2019.
● In our 3-0 semi-final win over Sheffield United, Riyad Mahrez became the first City player to score a hat-trick at Wembley Stadium. Overall he’s scored four times at Wembley for City, with only Sergio Agüero netting more for the Club at the ground (6).
● Marcus Rashford and Casemiro were on target for Manchester United in their League Cup final win against Newcastle. There have been five players to score in both major domestic cup finals for the Red Devils – Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Brian McClair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard.
● Erling Haaland has scored 52 goals in all competitions for Manchester City this season – he could become the first ever Norwegian player to score in the FA Cup final.
● Kevin De Bruyne is the only Manchester City player who scored in their 6-0 FA Cup final victory over Watford in 2019 still at the club. He could become the second player to score in two different FA Cup finals for the club, after Bobby Johnstone (1955 and 1956).
● Since his FA Cup debut for the club in 2019, Riyad Mahrez has scored more goals in the competition proper than any other player (11). He’s scored five so far this season – the last time a Man City player scored more in a single season was in 1933-34 (Fred Tilson, 9).
