2023 FA Cup final

{{For|the women's event|2023 Women's FA Cup final}}

{{Infobox football match

| title = 2023 FA Cup final

| image = London Wembley.jpg

| caption = The match took place at Wembley Stadium

| event = 2022–23 FA Cup

| date = {{Start date|2023|6|3|df=y}}

| team1 = Manchester City

| team1score = 2

| team2 = Manchester United

| team2score = 1

| details =

| stadium = Wembley Stadium

| city = London

| man_of_the_match1a = İlkay Gündoğan {{nowrap|(Manchester City)}}{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/manchester-city-vs-manchester-united/482166|title=Man City 2–1 Man Utd: Ilkay Gundogan's double puts City on the brink of treble with FA Cup win|website=Sky Sports.com|date=3 June 2023|access-date=3 June 2023}}

| referee = Paul Tierney (Lancashire){{cite news |title=Paul Tierney to referee 2023 Emirates FA Cup Final |url=https://www.thefa.com/news/2023/may/17/paul-tierney-to-referee-emirates-fa-cup-final-20231705 |publisher=The Football Association |date=17 May 2023 |accessdate=17 May 2023 }}

| attendance = 83,179

| weather = Partly cloudy

| previous = 2022

| next = 2024

}}

The 2023 FA Cup final was the final match of the 2022–23 FA Cup, the 142nd season of the oldest football tournament in the world, the Football Association Challenge Cup. It was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 3 June 2023 between Manchester City and Manchester United, making it the first time the Manchester derby was contested in a cup final.

Manchester City won the match 2–1 for their seventh FA Cup title and second double. İlkay Gündoğan broke the record for the fastest goal ever in an FA Cup final, scoring after just 12 seconds.

As winners Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Champions League tournament via their position in the 2022–23 Premier League, the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League position went to the sixth-placed Premier League team (Brighton & Hove Albion), while the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round spot allocated to the team that finished sixth in the Premier League was awarded to the seventh-placed team (Aston Villa).

As winners of both the Premier League and FA Cup, Manchester City qualified for the 2023 FA Community Shield, which they lost on penalties to Premier League runners-up Arsenal.

Background

The 2023 final marked the 100th anniversary of the first FA Cup final to be played at the original Wembley Stadium, the venue replaced by the current stadium in 2007.{{cite news |title=The 1923 FA Cup final: 100 years of lessons learned and absolutely not learned |url=https://www.football365.com/news/opinion-1923-fa-cup-final-100-years-of-lessons-learned-lessons-not-learned-west-ham-bolton |website=Football365 |date=22 April 2023 |accessdate=24 April 2023 }} It was Manchester United's 21st appearance in the FA Cup final, tying the record set by Arsenal on their last appearance in 2020, and their first since 2018. Manchester City made their 12th FA Cup final appearance and their first since 2019.

It was the first time that the two Manchester clubs met in the FA Cup final, but the tenth such meeting at any stage of the competition and the 190th Manchester derby in total. The two clubs split the results between them in the Premier League during the season; City won the first match 6–3 at the City of Manchester Stadium in October 2022,{{cite news |first=Phil |last=McNulty |title=Man City 6–3 Man Utd: Erling Haaland and Phil Foden score hat-tricks |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63024245 |website=BBC Sport |date=2 October 2022 |accessdate=24 April 2023 }} while United won 2–1 at Old Trafford in January 2023.{{cite news |first=Phil |last=McNulty |title=Man Utd 2–1 Man City: Marcus Rashford scores winner in Manchester derby |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64195236 |website=BBC Sport |date=14 January 2023 |accessdate=24 April 2023 }}

Manchester City were seeking to win the continental treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, attempting to emulate the feat managed by Manchester United in 1998–99; they faced Inter Milan in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final a week after the FA Cup final, winning 1–0 and completing the treble. Manchester United were looking to secure their second trophy under manager Erik ten Hag, having won the EFL Cup in February 2023. They also had once successfully denied an opponent of a continental treble chase before – in 1977 at the expense of Liverpool.

A UK-wide train strike took place on the day of the final.{{cite news |first=Charley |last=Adams |title=Train strikes hit FA Cup final and Beyoncé concert |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65797033 |website=BBC News |date=3 June 2024 |accessdate=28 April 2024 }}

Route to the final

{{main|2022–23 FA Cup}}

{{Table alignment|defaultleft}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;margin:0"
colspan="2"|Manchester City

!rowspan="2" style="width:25px"|Round

!colspan="2"|Manchester United

scope="col" style="width:180px"|Opposition

!scope="col" style="width:70px"|Score

!scope="col" style="width:180px"|Opposition

!scope="col" style="width:70px"|Score

Chelsea (H)

|4–0

!scope=row style="text-align:center"|3rd

|Everton (H)

|3–1

Arsenal (H)

|1–0

!scope=row style="text-align:center"|4th

|Reading (H)

|3–1

Bristol City (A)

|3–0

!scope=row style="text-align:center"|5th

|West Ham United (H)

|3–1

Burnley (H)

|6–0

!scope=row style="text-align:center"|QF

|Fulham (H)

|3–1

Sheffield United (N)

|3–0

!scope=row style="text-align:center"|SF

|Brighton & Hove Albion (N)

|0–0 {{aet}}
{{pso|7–6}}

colspan="5"|Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue

As Premier League clubs, both Manchester City and Manchester United entered the FA Cup in the third round. City began with a 4–0 home victory over 2022 finalists Chelsea at the City of Manchester Stadium,{{Cite news |last=McNulty |first=Phil |date=8 January 2023 |title=Manchester City 4–0 Chelsea |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64193420 |access-date=23 April 2023}} while United beat Everton 3–1 at Old Trafford.{{Cite news |last=Stone |first=Simon |date=6 January 2023 |title=Manchester United 3–1 Everton |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64182366 |access-date=23 April 2023}} In the fourth round, City again played at home, where they beat 14-time FA Cup winners Arsenal 1–0.{{Cite news |last=McNulty |first=Phil |date=27 January 2023 |title=Manchester City 1–0 Arsenal |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64417476 |access-date=23 April 2023}} United also faced another home tie in the fourth round, claiming another 3–1 victory over Reading.{{Cite news |last=Sutcliffe |first=Steve |title=Manchester United 3–1 Reading |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64429931 |date=28 January 2023 |access-date=23 April 2023}} They managed yet another 3–1 home win in the fifth round, this time against West Ham United,{{Cite news |last=Emons |first=Michael |date=1 March 2023 |title=Manchester United 3–1 West Ham |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64799759 |access-date=23 April 2023}} while City beat Bristol City 3–0 at Ashton Gate Stadium.{{Cite news |last=Begley |first=Emlyn |date=28 February 2023 |title=Bristol City 0–3 Manchester City |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64788956 |access-date=23 April 2023}}

In the quarter-finals, Manchester City returned to the City of Manchester Stadium, where they recorded a 6–0 win over Burnley,{{Cite news |last=Stone |first=Simon |date=18 March 2023 |title=Manchester City 6–0 Burnley |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64984170 |access-date=23 April 2023}} while United won 3–1 at Old Trafford for the fourth game in a row, Fulham this time the team on the receiving end.{{Cite news |last=Stone |first=Simon |date=19 March 2023 |title=Manchester United 3–1 Fulham |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64984201 |access-date=23 April 2023}} The semi-finals were both played at Wembley Stadium, with City facing Sheffield United on 22 April and United taking on Brighton & Hove Albion the next day. City won their tie 3–0,{{Cite news |last=McNulty |first=Phil |date=22 April 2023 |title=Manchester City 3–0 Sheffield United |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65347141 |access-date=23 April 2023}} while United and Brighton played out a goalless draw after extra time that had to be decided on penalties; United won the shoot-out 7–6.{{Cite news |last=McNulty |first=Phil |date=23 April 2023 |title=Brighton 0–0 Man Utd (6–7 on pens) |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65347158 |access-date=23 April 2023}}

{{Clear}}

Match

=Summary=

==First half==

Just 12 seconds into the match, İlkay Gündoğan opened the scoring for Manchester City with a right-footed volley from just outside the penalty area, making it the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/man-city-vs-man-utd/report/482166 |title=Man City 2-1 Man Utd: Ilkay Gundogan's double puts City on the brink of treble with FA Cup win|date=3 June 2023|work=Sky Sports|accessdate=3 June 2023}} The previous fastest goal was Louis Saha's in the 2009 final for Everton which came after 25 seconds.{{cite news |first=Caroline |last=Cheese |title=Live text – FA Cup final |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/8075105.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=30 May 2009 |access-date=30 May 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090531012146/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/8075105.stm| archive-date= 31 May 2009 | url-status= live}} City pushed for a second goal soon after, as a free-kick into the United penalty area by Kevin De Bruyne was narrowly headed wide by Rodri. Erling Haaland also had a chance to double City's lead, but an effort from him ended up drifting over the goal. United soon began to develop a spell of possession themselves, and they were rewarded for their forays into the City half as the VAR concluded that the ball had struck Jack Grealish's hand inside the penalty area. Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty for United, to make it 1–1 after 33 minutes. United did not let up in their spell of dominance in the final minutes of the first half, as Raphaël Varane had a chance from a corner to slot the ball into the net but hit his effort over the bar.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65785637 |title=Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United: Ilkay Gundogan double settles 2023 FA Cup final|date=3 June 2023|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=3 June 2023}}

==Second half==

In the 51st minute, De Bruyne whipped in a free-kick towards the United penalty area which fell to Gündoğan from just outside the area who then struck the ball first time with his left foot into the bottom left hand corner of the net, with David de Gea unable to keep out, for his second of the match and regain City's lead early in the second half. City kept up their pressure on United as the second half progressed, as De Bruyne found himself with a good chance running towards goal but his resulting effort was saved by de Gea's foot. United then began to pile more pressure themselves, as an effort from just outside the City penalty area from Marcus Rashford flew over the bar. At the other end of the field, City thought they had scored a third after an effort from Haaland was saved by de Gea before Gündoğan put the ball in the net from the rebound for what would have been his hat-trick. However, the goal was immediately disallowed by the referee after Gündoğan was shown to have been in an offside position when Haaland tried the initial shot. City did come close again to scoring a third, as a ball across the face of the United goal from Bernardo Silva was nearly tapped in at the back post by Manuel Akanji. Into the latter stages of the match, United's desperate search for an equaliser nearly earned them a goal as Alejandro Garnacho fired narrowly wide of the far post from the left hand side of the penalty area, before substitute Scott McTominay controlled the ball down inside the City penalty area, where Varane attempted to slot the ball into the net but was thwarted by Stefan Ortega. The ball bounced up off the crossbar, and was headed narrowly over courtesy of desperate defending from City. The match ended after six minutes of stoppage time, with City winning 2–1.{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/03/manchester-city-manchester-united-fa-cup-final-match-report|title=

Manchester City hold off Manchester United to win FA Cup and strike Double|date=3 June 2023|work=Guardian|accessdate=3 June 2023}}

=Details=

Because the match was deemed "high risk" by the police, it was moved to a 15:00 start, the first FA Cup final to kick-off at that time since 2011.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/05/31/fa-cup-final-2023-date-time-manchester-city-vs-man-utd-kick-off/|title=FA Cup final 2023, Manchester City vs Manchester United: What time is it and what TV channel is it on?|work=The Telegraph|date=31 May 2023|access-date=31 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531230328/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/05/31/fa-cup-final-2023-date-time-manchester-city-vs-man-utd-kick-off/|archive-date=31 May 2023}}

{{Football box

|date = {{Start date|2023|6|3|df=y}}

|time = 15:00 BST

|team1 = Manchester City

|score = 2–1

|team2 = Manchester United

|goals1 =

|goals2 =

|stadium = Wembley Stadium, London

|attendance = 83,179

|referee = Paul Tierney (Lancashire)

|report = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65785637

}}

width=92%
{{Football kit

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|pattern_sh = _mancity2223h

|pattern_so = _mancity2223hl

|leftarm = 77BBFF

|body = 77BBFF

|rightarm = 77BBFF

|shorts = FFFFFF

|socks = 77BBFF

|title = {{nowrap|Manchester City}}

}}

|{{Football kit

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|title = {{nowrap|Manchester United}}

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width="100%"

|valign="top" width="40%"|

{| style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"

width=25|width=25|
GK18{{flagicon|GER}} Stefan Ortega{{yel|81}}
CB2{{flagicon|ENG}} Kyle Walker{{suboff|90+5}}
CB3{{flagicon|POR}} Rúben Dias
CB25{{flagicon|SUI}} Manuel Akanji
DM5{{flagicon|ENG}} John Stones
DM16{{flagicon|ESP}} Rodri{{yel|90}}
RW20{{flagicon|POR}} Bernardo Silva
AM17{{flagicon|BEL}} Kevin De Bruyne{{suboff|76}}
AM8{{flagicon|GER}} İlkay Gündoğan (c)
LW10{{flagicon|ENG}} Jack Grealish{{suboff|89}}
CF9{{flagicon|NOR}} Erling Haaland
colspan=3|Substitutes:
GK31{{flagicon|BRA}} Ederson
DF6{{flagicon|NED}} Nathan Aké{{subon|89}}
DF14{{flagicon|ESP}} Aymeric Laporte{{subon|90+5}}
DF82{{flagicon|ENG}} Rico Lewis
MF4{{flagicon|ENG}} Kalvin Phillips
MF47{{flagicon|ENG}} Phil Foden{{subon|76}}
MF80{{flagicon|ENG}} Cole Palmer
FW19{{flagicon|ARG}} Julián Álvarez
FW26{{flagicon|ALG}} Riyad Mahrez
colspan=3|Manager:
colspan=3|{{flagicon|ESP}} Pep Guardiola

|valign="top"|300px

|valign="top" width="50%"|

style="font-size:90%; margin:auto" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
width=25|width=25|
GK1{{flagicon|ESP}} David de Gea
RB29{{flagicon|ENG}} Aaron Wan-Bissaka{{yel|45+4}}
CB19{{flagicon|FRA}} Raphaël Varane
CB2{{flagicon|SWE}} Victor Lindelöf{{suboff|83}}
LB23{{flagicon|ENG}} Luke Shaw
CM18{{flagicon|BRA}} Casemiro
CM17{{flagicon|BRA}} Fred{{yel|79}}
RW8{{flagicon|POR}} Bruno Fernandes (c)
AM14{{flagicon|DEN}} Christian Eriksen{{suboff|62}}
LW25{{flagicon|ENG}} Jadon Sancho{{suboff|78}}
CF10{{flagicon|ENG}} Marcus Rashford
colspan=3|Substitutes:
GK31{{flagicon|ENG}} Jack Butland
DF5{{flagicon|ENG}} Harry Maguire
DF12{{flagicon|NED}} Tyrell Malacia
DF20{{flagicon|POR}} Diogo Dalot
MF39{{flagicon|SCO}} Scott McTominay{{subon|83}}
FW27{{flagicon|NED}} Wout Weghorst{{subon|78}}
FW28{{flagicon|URU}} Facundo Pellistri
FW36{{flagicon|SWE}} Anthony Elanga
FW49{{flagicon|ARG}} Alejandro Garnacho{{subon|62}}
colspan=3|Manager:
colspan=3|{{flagicon|NED}} Erik ten Hag

|}

style="width:100%;font-size:90%"

|style="width:40%;vertical-align:top"|

Man of the Match:


İlkay Gündoğan (Manchester City)

Assistant referees:


Neil Davies (London)


Scott Ledger (South Yorkshire)


Fourth official:


Peter Bankes (Merseyside)


Reserve assistant referee:


Adrian Holmes (West Yorkshire)


Video assistant referee:


David Coote (Nottinghamshire)


Assistant video assistant referee:


Simon Long (Cornwall)

|style="width:60%;vertical-align:top"|

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • Nine named substitutes
  • Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time{{refn|group=note|Each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.}}

Notes

{{Reflist|group=note}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{FA Cup}}

{{2022–23 in English men's football}}

{{Manchester City F.C. matches}}

{{Manchester United F.C. matches}}

Category:2022–23 FA Cup

Category:FA Cup finals

2023 FA Cup final

FA Cup final

FA Cup final

FA Cup final 2023

FA Cup final 2023

FA Cup final 2023

Category:Football competitions in London