The 142nd FA Cup final is the first to include just Manchester teams, but who will be celebrating at Wembley this weekend—City or United?
We consulted football expert Chris Sutton from BBC Sport, as well as Tom Grennan, a supporter of Manchester United, and Noel Gallagher, a fan of Manchester City.
In addition to competing in the winners League final the following week, the newly crowned Premier League winners City will attempt to complete the Trifecta on Saturday, a feat that has only been accomplished once before by United in 1999.
How does City’s measure up?
According to Gallagher, you can hear United supporters saying, “Ours is the better Treble,” on BBC Sport. “David Beckham texted me the other night and said that; I responded, ‘No, ours will be better.'”
He questioned why, to which I said, “Because we will beat you on the way.” Therefore, it stands to reason that if we defeat them in the FA Cup final before them, ours would be superior.
Gallagher, Noel
Gallagher stated, “I don’t look at it as City being on the edge of the Treble yet. “If we defeat United, we might be. When it happens, there will only be one game left.
Council Skies, the latest album from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, is released on Friday. On the location of Maine Road’s original center-spot, the former home of Manchester City, the band’s live equipment is shown set up in the album artwork.
The stadium was inaugurated 100 years ago this year, and 20 years have passed since the club moved to Etihad Stadium.
The music on the album is a look back at Noel’s formative years in Manchester, when he used to stare up at the sky and imagine what his future might hold.
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For City, who had a rough patch in the 1980s and 1990s but are currently the dominant force in English football, this includes fantasizing about success. After winning the Premier League for the fifth time in six years, they will attempt to win the FA Cup and Champions League finals, where they will play Inter Milan on June 10.
We’ve been at this for a while, so it doesn’t seem as unbelievable now, said Gallagher.
But in 2008, when Sheikh Mansour became manager of City, I recall asking, “Well, who is this guy?” And the frontman was joking around, saying things like, “We’re going to buy Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Oh no, is this going to be another comedy show from the City, I thought. – but since then, everything has come into focus.
“Before winning the FA Cup, we had to place in the top four. After purchasing Sergio Aguero that summer [2011], the squad featured players like Sergio, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Vincent Kompany in the lineup for a brief period the following season.
We’ve won the Premier League a couple times lately, so I didn’t think we could accomplish it before.
“I guess Istanbul is the last step, but man, these are the most exciting times ever,” someone said.
Tom Grennan Grennan claims that West Ham midfielder Declan Rice—not Tottenham forward Harry Kane—is the player he would most want to see United sign this summer. While he acknowledged that Kane “guarantees goals,” he said, “I’m not sure I would take him for what he would cost us. But Rice and Bruno Fernandes would be in the center of the park, in my opinion.
What Ifs & Maybes, Tom Grennan’s newest CD, will be available on June 16.
The Bedford-born singer grew up as a United supporter during a time when they were the top dogs and won that coveted Treble under Sir Alex Ferguson. As a young player, the singer was signed by Luton Town, Northampton, and Stevenage.
Although it has been ten years since they last won the league, Erik ten Hag has already ended a six-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup, and on Sunday they hope to complete their own domestic cup double.
Ten Hag has been outstanding in his debut season as manager, according to Grennan, who spoke to BBC Sport.
“He’s given us fresh vitality, and we once again appear to be a team with a strategy. Without a doubt, there is still more to try and accomplish, but regardless of what happens at Wembley, he has already won a trophy and returned us to the Champions League.
The upcoming season will be incredibly exciting, but we definitely need to strengthen in the summer. I’m interested to see what Ten Hag accomplishes in the transfer market.
