2024 FA Cup final: tactical analysis

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Manchester United ended their difficult 2023/24 season on a major high with this FA Cup final upset against Manchester City. Erik ten Hag’s team put in an excellent performance that combined clinical counter-attacking with defensive organisation to deservedly claim the famous old trophy at Wembley. In doing so, they prevented City  from becoming the first team to win the double two seasons in succession, as well as gaining a measure of revenge for last year’s FA Cup final defeat.

Alejandro Garnacho capitalised on a defensive mix-up between City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and Josko Gvardiol to tap in United’s first. Seven minutes later, Marcus Rashford put the ball in the back of the net, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside. No matter, because the excellent Kobbie Mainoo was on hand to double United’s lead two minutes after. It was a whirlwind period of attacking intent that meant two teenagers had scored in one FA Cup final for the first time. City came on strong in the second half, and Jérémy Doku’s late strike raised the possibility they could still turn it round. United, however, kept their composure and defensive solidity to clinch victory.

The scale of their achievement could be measured by three statistics. Going into the final, City had been undefeated in 35 games in all competitions – the second-longest run by a top-flight team in English football history. For the ever-reliable Rodri, this final was the first time he had suffered defeat in 50 games this season. Furthermore, it was his first club defeat since February 2023, ending a 74-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. But the statistic that United cared for most was that they claimed their 13th FA Cup.

How the managers saw it

“We did some special things [in the dressing room before the game],” said Ten Hag. “[The] coaches were great and the staff produced some emotional videos, the emotion went into the players’ minds. The videos fired the players’ bodies and it helped that we were such a team.”

“I think my gameplan was not good,” said Pep Guardiola. “You plan a game for different positions, but it didn’t work.” The City manager was more satisfied with their showing after the break: “The second half was much, much better. We were more intense, in part because we were 2-0 down and had nothing to lose… unfortunately we scored a goal a little bit late.”

Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches highlight the key tactical points from this FA Cup final…

Starting line-ups

Manchester UnitedManchester City

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Manchester United4-2-2-2

Manchester City4-2-3-1

24André Onana

18Stefan Ortega

20Diogo Dalot

2Kyle Walker

6Lisandro Martínez

5John Stones

19Raphaël Varane

6Nathan Aké

29Aaron Wan-Bissaka

24Josko Gvardiol

4Sofyan Amrabat

16Rodri

37Kobbie Mainoo

8Mateo Kovacic

8Bruno Fernandes

20Bernardo Silva

39Scott McTominay

17Kevin De Bruyne

10Marcus Rashford

47Phil Foden

17Alejandro Garnacho

9Erling Haaland

Breaking United’s narrow block

Throughout the game, Manchester City faced the task of breaking down Manchester United – initially set up in a 4-2-2-2 – and their narrow block. Mateo Kovacic dropped deep for City, alongside Rodri, covering and switching the play as Josko Gvardiol advanced from left-back. These two movements allowed Phil Foden to move inside, supporting as a second 10 alongside Kevin De Bruyne. On the right, winger Bernardo Silva also dropped out, similar to Kovacic, as Kyle Walker advanced from full-back. However, central access proved difficult for City, as United’s narrow numbers protected the central spaces (below). 

As United’s block – and their front unit especially – remained centrally compact, Silva moved back to a winger role, with Walker supporting the deeper build (below). City’s best play came as they accessed the wide areas, to then make narrow inside-channel runs, inside of Gvardiol and Silva. With Foden and De Bruyne often marked, movements from deep by Kovacic and Rodri were useful. Erling Haaland, however, was isolated, and the front line frustrated, as City struggled to create in the first half. 

United’s wingers in behind

Although United only had 25 per cent of the possession in the first half, their defending was superb, resulting in wide counter-attacks from deep that carried real purpose. From their rare spells of possession, they probed for diagonal passes over City’s out-of-possession 4-4-2 block, searching for their wingers. United opened the scoring by capitalising on an error in City’s back line, with both Garnacho and Marcus Rashford making bending runs inside of their full-back opponent (below).

United doubled their lead when Rashford switched superbly to Garnacho (below), with Bruno Fernandes then intelligently working the ball to Mainoo for his smart finish. As well as having an extra defensive presence in midfield to frustrate City, another benefit for United of having no fixed centre-forward was how difficult City’s centre-backs found it to centrally mark or protect. Fernandes, Mainoo and Scott McTominay all rotated superbly, often drifting between City’s lines and working inside of the penetrative runs made repeatedly by Rashford and Garnacho.

Guardiola’s substitutions

For the second half, Guardiola added Doku and Manuel Akanji for Kovacic and Nathan Aké, with John Stones moving into midfield and Gvardiol no longer advancing. This maintained the same attacking shape as in the first half; the major difference was that City had a winger in both wide areas, with Doku and Silva. Julián Álvarez was then added in place of De Bruyne, as a 10 alongside Foden (below). Both had chances to score, while Haaland hit the bar after 55 minutes.

Guardiola’s changes had a double effect. First, Doku’s attacking presence improved City in the final third to such an extent that Garnacho was forced to track back to help Aaron Wan-Bissaka. United also lost their wide counters and winger runs beyond, with Rashford extremely isolated by the time he was replaced by Rasmus Højlund after 74 minutes. This doubling-up also allowed another runner from midfield – usually Rodri – to join the attacks, especially as Foden and Álvarez were so tightly marked (below).

Despite being frequently doubled up, it was Doku who broke United’s defence, beating André Onana at the near post. Yet it wasn’t enough for City to keep their double dreams alive, as United saw out a famous win.

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Author: The Coaches' Voice