Player Ratings from the Manchester Derby in the FA Cup Final

Manchester Derby
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The FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United was a thrilling encounter, with City emerging victorious. The match saw some standout performances, as well as a few that left much to be desired. Here’s a look at the player ratings from the match.

Manchester City Player Ratings

  • Stefan Ortega (7/10): The goalkeeper didn’t let his manager down, making a big save in stoppage time.
  • Kyle Walker (6/10): His recovery pace was needed at times, but he wasn’t really troubled until Garnacho’s introduction.
  • Ruben Dias (7/10): A picture of authority in the centre of defence.
  • Manuel Akanji (7/10): Wins his individual duels and creates the platform for players like Gundogan to be match-winners higher up the pitch.
  • John Stones (9/10): Outstanding in the second half as his growing influence helped City take back control.
  • Rodri (8/10): Hardly put a foot wrong defensively – or with the ball.
  • Bernardo Silva (6/10): A quieter afternoon for the Portuguese.
  • Kevin De Bruyne (7/10): Mesmeric in the second half and showed his class to take the game away from United.
  • Ilkay Gundogan (9/10): City’s man for the big occasion. His record-breaking opener after 13 seconds was a dream strike, the second wasn’t struck as purely but the German’s sense of timing is extraordinary.
  • Jack Grealish (6/10): Didn’t look sharp enough in the first half.
  • Erling Haaland (7/10): The striker had some good moments against Raphael Varane but the match was won elsewhere.

Manchester United Player Ratings

  • David de Gea (5/10): Gundogan’s second looked soft and although De Gea may argue he couldn’t see it through a pack of bodies, what’s clear is United need an upgrade in goal.
  • Aaron Wan-Bissaka (5/10): The right back won his individual battle with Grelaish but was unable to offer much else.
  • Victor Lindelof (4/10): Beaten by Haaland in the move for Gundogan’s opener inside 15 seconds.
  • Raphael Varane (5/10): Looked to get tight with Haaland and be physical but the City striker was still able to roll him on a couple of occasions.
  • Luke Shaw (5/10): Managed to keep Bernardo Silva quiet but was pinned back by City’s relentless pressing.
  • Casemiro (4/10): Unable to influence the game from midfield apart from putting in a couple of robust challenges.
  • Fred (4/10): Struggled to match De Bruyne in the second half.
  • Bruno Fernandes (5/10): Tucked away a first-half penalty to equalise for United but his team needed more from their influential captain.
  • Christian Eriksen (3/10): Looked off the pace and struggled to match City’s intensity in midfield.
  • Jadon Sancho (3/10): The winger didn’t turn up and was fortunate he wasn’t removed too with half an hour to play.
  • Marcus Rashford (5/10): Starved of service for large spells and didn’t

look fully fit. Centre forward just doesn’t suit his abilities.

Substitutes

  • Alejandro Garnacho (7/10): Took responsibility and went close with a bending effort. Should have started.
  • Wout Weghorst (4/10): Didn’t make an impact and was frustratingly caught offside when the ball was played long to him.

The player ratings reflect the intensity of the match, with both teams showcasing their strengths and weaknesses. As the dust settles on the FA Cup final, both Manchester City and Manchester United will look to learn from this experience and prepare for their upcoming challenges.

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