FA Cup Final: Manchester City's Achilles' Heel and Teng Hahe's Fate Sealed?

The 142nd edition of the FA Cup final at Wembley will once again feature two teams from Manchester. Manchester City, as per usual, has maintained stability throughout the season, securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title. Their Champions League exit, attributed to Guardiola's tactical decisions falling short compared to Ancelotti's, hasn't dampened their status as frontrunners for next season's Champions League title, especially with the departures of Kroos and Modric signaling a new era.

Meanwhile, Manchester United, under Teng Hahe, has found itself in a familiar predicament akin to previous managers: an impressive first season followed by a sharp decline in the second, coupled with strained player relationships and potential departures post-season. The abrupt revelation of the head coach's departure by authoritative media just before the final is sure to impact player morale, reflecting an intriguing decision by Manchester United's management.

Manchester City faced significant challenges this season, particularly with the departure of Kündo and De Bruyne's long-term injury. Despite attempts to integrate Kovačić as Kündo's replacement, adapting to Guardiola's tactical system proved daunting. Further complicating matters, in their match against Chelsea, Kovačić's admiration for the opponent's stellar performance hinted at a lack of belonging at Manchester City. Inconsistent performances from Mahrez and Grealish have also diminished City's attacking output, while even Haaland's threat has waned due to opposition teams adeptly countering his strengths. His occasional clumsiness with the ball has drawn comparisons to van Basten, suggesting a further decline in attacking threat next season. Only Foden's rise offers City fans hope, illustrating Guardiola's ongoing talent development.

Manchester United's season has been tumultuous, with Teng Hahe leading the team to high win and loss rates. In the 2021-2022 season, under Solskjaer, Carrick, and Rangnick, United's Premier League goals conceded matched their goals scored for the first time, with goal difference becoming a non-existent entity. This was seen as a low point, but Teng Hahe managed to bring United's goal difference into negative territory for the first time, continually lowering the bar. Perhaps rooted in Sir Alex Ferguson's era, the practice of granting complete authority to the manager allowed Teng Hahe to independently handle transfers. However, each player he brought in seemed to carry a price tag that outweighed their ability, with Anthony being the prime example. It's likely that even in ten years, his memorable scenes won't be recalled by fans. Despite this, United's attacking prowess alone should have seen them score more than 57 goals. Rashford's early promise was greater than Foden's, but his potential was unfortunately compromised by injury.

In last season's FA Cup final, Manchester City defeated Manchester United 2-1 thanks to two world-class goals from Kündo. The current outlook clearly favors Manchester City. The only variable might be the goalkeeper position—if Onana performs at his peak and Manchester City's substitute goalkeeper Otańia commits another blunder replacing Ederson, United could have a chance. Taking everything into account, both teams are capable of putting in strong performances. If the match extends to penalties, United's goalkeeper advantage could decide the outcome.