IF it is goodbye for Ilkay Gundogan this was some way to sign off.
The quickest goal in FA Cup history after 12 seconds followed by the winner on 51 minutes.
The captain won the Cup, lifted it and now heads to Istanbul in the belief that Manchester City can emulate their defeated opponents and complete the treble. The German international wants a two-year deal to stay at The Etihad while City are offering the 32-year-old only one.
A compromise may be reached with a one-year deal with the option on the club’s part for a further year if they decide to trigger it, with Barcelona keeping a close eye. But as it stands the match against Inter Milan in Istanbul could be his last for the club, he will not be forgotten in the blue half of Manchester.
What a start to it was to the game. Gundogan kicked off laying the ball straight back to goalkeeper Stefan Ortega who launched it forward.
Erlking Haaland won the first ball, Victor Lindelof the second but it bounced off Kevin De Bruyne and broke to Gundogan. What technique as he sent a volley flying past David de Gea.
Those in blue stadium went crazy, those in red were shell shocked. City went for more and the fans at the opposite end of the stadium thought they had a second when Ruben Dias’ header rippled the side netting.
Jack Grealish was getting busy cutting in from the left and shot just wide. Erling Haaland stretched to reach a Gundogan ball in but could only steer it straight into De Gea’s grateful arms. At this point United could not string three passes together.
City were all over them, hounding them down every time they touched the ball and winning it back. Then things swung round when Aaron Wan Bissaka’s header hit Grealish’s high hand.
Referee Paul Tierney was called by the VAR to look at it on the screen at the side of the pitch. We all know what that means and the United fans started celebrating.
A penalty was awarded and Bruno Fernandes did his hop, step and jump before sending Ortega the wrong way. Off he want in celebration of his 33rd minute leveller.
Unfortunately it was at the City end of the pitch and objects reigned down, one of which hit Victor Lindelof. He was ok to carry on and United had new energy while on the touchline Erik ten Hag and Pep Guardiola were getting animated with each other.
It was game on. The lead and the power was wrestled back by City courtesy of Gundogan again. But what of De Gea’s efforts to stop him?
De Bruyne curled a free kick from the right out to the top of the ‘D’ where his teammate was unmarked.
The volley was not clean, scuffed into the deck but it found it’s way into the bottom left hand corner with De Gea too slow to get across. Such moments are possibly why the club are yet to sign of on a new contract for a player whose current deal is now at an end.
Ten Hag made a change to try and get back into the game when he brought Alejandro Garnacho on for Christian Eriksen. He went on the left, Jadon Sancho switched to the right and Bruno Fernandes came into the middle. But City were in the ascendency again and Gundogan thought he had a hat-trick when he followed up Haaland’s saved shot but was offside.
Garnacho got on the ball and curled a shot over the angle. The United fans implored their team to keep coming forward.
Ten Hag’s rolled the dice again when he sent on Wout Weghorst. Then in injury time Raphael Varane had a shot that hit Ortega and bounced back off the bar with Scott McTominay’s follow up header going over.
That was the last chance. Two down one to go. Next Saturday in Istanbul City should go down in legend.
Source: thesun.co.uk
