Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final left Pep Guardiola feeling defeated. The manager had made three changes to the team that won against West Ham last weekend and secured the Premier League title, but these changes proved costly in the cup final.
At half-time, with City trailing 2-0, Guardiola made two changes by bringing on Jeremy Doku and Manuel Akanji for Mateo Kovacic and Nathan Ake. Despite Doku scoring for City in the 87th minute, they were unable to mount a comeback and defend their FA Cup trophy.
After the match, Guardiola praised Manchester United for their victory and acknowledged that his gameplan was not good. He admitted that the second half was much better as City showed more intensity, but it was too late to change the outcome of the game.
This was the first time Guardiola had lost a domestic cup final in England, after winning four League Cups and two FA Cups. Despite the loss, Guardiola emphasized that the season has been extraordinary as City fought for all the trophies in a good way. He expressed his intention to regroup and come back stronger next season.
When asked about his team’s performance, Guardiola denied that they were sluggish and took responsibility for his tactical errors. He admitted that his gameplan did not work and that he should have positioned the players differently to attack United effectively. Guardiola recognized that United defended well but felt that City missed clear chances in the second half.
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