Well, well, well, they can’t sack him now, can they? A Kobbie Mainoo artwork worthy of the Tate Modern and a sense of purpose that proved beyond Manchester City . Erik ten Hag promised Manchester United would bring the sunshine, and they did. Sir Jim Ratcliffe in raptures, Sir Alex Ferguson smiling like it was 1999, the champions of England looking on crestfallen as the FA Cup went to United for the 13th time.
Whether a club like United winning a trophy at Wembley represented a radical shift in narrative is a funny old thought, but the occasion seemed at least a little more interesting with City not on the winning side, the defeat a first in normal time since December. The second half felt like a week, especially after the late Jeremy Doku goal , and yes, City at least came to resemble the team that bossed the season, but United held out for a victory that seemed right. No whistle ever sounded so sexy for Ten Hag, who was hoisted to the moon by Lisandro Martinez, an unscripted moment of epic purity.
Once he had grounded his manager, Martinez ran straight to the United fans banked to his left, communing it seemed with each individually. His teammates gathered in the middle, bouncing about like schoolboys. This was probably a game too far for City, a team that looked tired in mind as well as limb.
United sensed it and once ahead wrenched the initiative in a way few believed possible. Read Next Man Utd stun Man City to win FA Cup and spoil Pep Guardiola's double hopes Ten Hag .
