Sports Mole takes a look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between Manchester City and Manchester United in the FA Cup ahead of Saturday’s final at Wembley Stadium.
The 193rd instalment of the Manchester derby takes centre stage under the famous arch of Wembley Stadium where Manchester City face off against rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday afternoon.
Pep Guardiola‘s side were crowned Premier League champions for an unprecedented fourth season in a row after beating West Ham United 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign last Sunday.
Man City finished a staggering 31 points ahead of Erik ten Hag‘s Man United, who were condemned to their lowest-ever Premier League finish (eighth place) despite beating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 away from home in their final-day fixture.
The FA Cup represents the Red Devils’ last chance for silverware and their only remaining path to securing European football for next season, but to come out on top in the final, they must beat a relentless Citizens outfit who are bidding to complete a domestic double for the second successive year.
There have been many memorable Manchester derbies over the years, and here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two clubs in the FA Cup.
© Reuters
FA CUP HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Matches: 10
Manchester City wins: 4
Draws: 0
Manchester United wins: 6
Man City and Man United have played each other a total of 10 times in the FA Cup, with the Red Devils edging the head-to-head record having posted six wins to the Citizens’ four.
The very first meeting between these two local rivals in England’s oldest cup competition took place back in 1891 when Man City – formerly known as Ardwick – suffered a 5-1 home defeat to Man United in the first qualifying round.
Both clubs would win their first FA Cup – Man City in 1904 and Man United in 1908 – before meeting again in the 1926 semi-final, with the Citizens securing a comfortable 3-0 win before losing in the final to Bolton Wanderers.
Man City also beat Man United by a 2-0 scoreline in 1955 en route to losing the final against Newcastle United, before the Red Devils came out on top in the next three FA Cup Manchester derby meetings over a 26-year period between the 1970s and late 1990s, when they lifted the trophy on six occasions.
Since the turn of the millennium, the Manchester derby has taken place four times in the FA Cup, including a six-goal thriller in 2004 when Man United won 4-2 at Old Trafford in the fifth round before going all the way and beating Millwall in the final at the Millennium Stadium.
Man City’s ongoing spell of dominance on the domestic front began around the time of their 2011 FA Cup triumph, ending their 35-year wait for silverware. Yaya Toure was the hero in both the semi-final and final as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Man United before netting the decisive goal again in the showpiece versus Stoke City.
In Sir Alex Ferguson‘s penultimate season as a manager, Man United got their revenge just nine months later as they knocked out the holders with a 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium. Wayne Rooney scored either side of a Danny Welbeck strike to put the Red Devils three goals ahead before half time. City fought back with second-half goals from Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero, but the visitors held on to progress from the third round.
For the first time in the FA Cup’s 153-year history, Man City and Man United locked horns in the final of last season’s competition, with the Citizens prevailing 2-1 courtesy of a brace from captain Ilkay Gundogan, including a record-breaking 12-second opener. Guardiola’s side went on to win a historic treble and they will enter Saturday’s showpiece seeking to become the first-ever team to win a league title and FA Cup double in consecutive seasons.
Last 10 FA Cup meetings
Jun 3, 2023: Man City 2-1 Man United (FA Cup Final)
Jan 8, 2012: Man City 2-3 Man Utd (FA Cup Third Round)
Apr 16, 2011: Man City 1-0 Man Utd (FA Cup Semi-Final)
Feb 14, 2004: Man United 4-2 Man City (FA Cup Fifth Round)
Feb 18, 1996: Man United 2-1 Man City (FA Cup Fifth Round)
Jan 10, 1987: Man United 1-0 Man City (FA Cup Third Round)
Jan 24, 1970: Man United 3-0 Man City (FA Cup Fourth Round)
Jan 29, 1955: Man City 2-0 Man United (FA Cup Fourth Round)
Mar 27, 1926: Man City 3-0 Man United (FA Cup Semi-Final)
Oct 3, 1891: Ardwick (Man City) 1-5 Man United (FA Cup First Qualifying Round)
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