Manchester United produced an excellent performance as they held on to defeat fierce rivals Man City 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Amid all the speculation over the future of manager Erik ten Hag, the players showed they were still behind the Dutchman with an exceptional display that saw academy products Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo find the back of the net. A late effort from Jeremy Doku gave Pep Guardiola’s side faint hope, but United managed to hold for a famous victory.
United adopted a more defensive approach for the final, with Bruno Fernandes deployed as a false nine, and the tactical change worked a treat as they packed the midfield and frustrated the Premier League champions. Raphael Varane shone in central defence in what was his final appearance for the club, while Lisandro Martinez also made a huge contribution to the victory following his recent return from injury.
Every United player can hold their head high after a brilliant team performance which ensured they not only finished the season with a trophy, but qualified for the Europa League in the process.
It is unclear how the FA Cup victory will impact the future of Ten Hag amid reports he would be sacked regardless of the full-time result, but the manner of their performance certainly made a compelling case for him to be given more time.
Here is how we rated the United players:
1. Andre Onana - 7
An excellent couple of stops to deny Kyle Walker from distance but should have done a lot better with Doku's low drive. Redeemed himself with expert game management. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images
2. Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 8
He seems to save his best United performances for under the Wembley arch. An excellent defensive outing despite being targeted by City throughout. | AFP via Getty Images Photo: AFP via Getty Images
3. Raphael Varane - 8
A classy final performance for the club. He brought calmness and composure to the United defence against arguably the best attack in the world. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images
4. Lisandro Martinez - 8
You can't help but think how different the season might have been had he been available for all of it. A key contributor in both defence and attack. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images