The funny thing is, Man City was rated much higher than MU in terms of form, mentality, and comfort. They were the team that MU had to “beg” to “win” in order to slip through the narrow door to qualify for the Europa League next season. For MU, they only had to win against Man City if they hoped to play in European competitions, and Ten Hag’s stars would face fewer wage deductions for missing out on the Champions League in 2024/25.

MU is burdened with the letter “If.” They also faced many issues before this match, including the constant speculation about Ten Hag’s potential dismissal regardless of whether Manchester United wins the FA Cup or not. In the battle for the championship, mistakes are unavoidable, but they can be minimized to the lowest extent, unlike what happened with the Man City stars.

The developments at Wembley left fans startled, anxious, and doubtful. Man City’s power suddenly vanished. No one recognized them as Pep Guardiola’s fearsome team. The sky-blue side maintained much possession against MU, but they kept misplacing passes. Their links were disjointed to a bizarre degree. It felt like the Man City stars still had a lot of “alcohol” in their system after celebrating their fourth consecutive Premier League title – a record that may remain unbeaten for a long time, not to mention equaled.

Perhaps this is why they looked at the FA Cup with a lack of respect? Maybe not, but the attitude and actions of the Man City stars suggested otherwise. Man City’s first goal came from a disastrous mistake by Josko Gvardiol, but on a broader scale, it was a breakdown of their entire system. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega rushed out to assist his teammates, but Gvardiol failed to understand the situation. As a habit, the Croatian star headed the ball back, creating a golden opportunity for Alejandro Garnacho to score one of the easiest goals of his career for MU. This was rare for Man City because their defense rarely showed such poor coordination, especially when Ortega was off his line, and Gvardiol had been on fire with numerous assists and goals in the latter half of the 2023/24 season. But today, both showed that it was just a rare moment of brilliance for them and fell far short of the class Guardiola expected.

Moving to the second goal conceded, Man City had a fairly crowded home side but left Bruno Fernandes unmarked, allowing the MU captain to easily set up Kobbie Mainoo for a goal, breaking a record as the youngest English player to score in an FA Cup final since West Ham’s John Sissons (18 years, 215 days) in 1964. At this point, one could see the danger of partying all week and playing in a “hangover” state.

Even training was challenging, let alone official matches. Everyone seemed to be in a drunken state, which likely affected their fitness and sharpness. Or simply put, for them, the FA Cup final was more like a friendly match with nothing at stake rather than a championship match. Indeed, the FA Cup prize money pales in comparison to the Champions League or the Premier League. According to distribution, the winners of the oldest tournament in England receive £2 million, while the runners-up get £1 million. Meanwhile, De Bruyne or Haaland can earn that amount in just one month. Or even easier, the pockets of the Man City bosses “overwhelm” those of the FA Cup organizers.

Man City’s excessive comfort led to their defeat and made fans worry about the seriousness of their preparations for the new season. Losing to MU will also remind Man City’s management that they need to renew the club in the coming time. As for MU, the club’s leadership has surely realized that Ten Hag was right, not just boasting or making excuses. The Dutch coach had previously said that this season MU didn’t play well due to having over 50 injuries and using 15 different center-back pairs. Ten Hag always asserted that with enough personnel, the club could do everything.

Today, MU had the return of Varane and Lisandro Martinez in central defense. They bolstered the confidence and solidity of MU’s defense. The strength of Lisandro Martinez and Varane’s head helped MU “lock down” Haaland, thwarting Man City’s attacks. It brought confidence and a perfect feeling for Onana and was a pillar for the attackers. Two consecutive seasons with two cups and always stepping up to shield his players, taking full responsibility for himself.

Ten Hag has shown he deserves another chance. Perhaps in Ten Hag’s third season at Old Trafford, MU will explode even more? Now the decision lies in the hands of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.