The Manchester City class of 2023, led by Pep Guardiola, has been the 13th group to win both the FA Cup and the English league championship in the same year.
In the FA Cup final on Saturday at Wembley, City, who won the Premier League by five points over Arsenal, defeated Manchester United 2-1.
In addition to a penalty from Bruno Fernandes for United, Ilkay Gundogan scored twice for City on fantastic volleys.
City now has the chance to repeat United’s 1999 accomplishment in the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul, having previously won the Premier League championship.
With the fastest goal in FA Cup final history—a magnificent volley after only 12 seconds—City captain Gundogan ensured his place in history and surpassed Louis Saha’s goal for Everton against Chelsea in 2009, which came after 25 seconds.
When the video assistant referee determined that Jack Grealish had handled the ball after 33 minutes, Manchester United scored an equalizer. Bruno Fernandes calmly sent Stefan Ortega the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Six minutes after the half, Gundogan, as he frequently does, made the difference by volleying Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick past United goalkeeper David de Gea to give City the FA Cup for the eighth time.
Man City is poised for success.
The best season in Manchester City’s history is only 90 minutes away.
Once the league and FA Cup have been won, the opportunity to win the Champions League versus Inter Milan will present itself.
If they are successful, they will be only the second English team to win the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in the same season.
United, who successfully stopped City’s offer 24 years ago, tried their best to block it, but the league champions had too much strength and a player in Gundogan who thrives under pressure.
His two goals, especially that incredible early goal, highlighted what a significant figure he had grown into and guaranteed him a particular position in the history of City’s heyday.
And in John Stones, City have a player of the greatest caliber performing in the most recent position assigned to him by Guardiola, one that enables him to move into midfield and make the most of all his talent and poise.
Next up for City are games against Istanbul and Inter Milan, and given their present unrelenting, unstoppable form, it would come as more of a surprise if they did not win the Treble than if they did.