This Saturday, Man United and Man City contest the 2024 FA Cup Final, in a repeat of last season’s domestic showpiece.
The contrast in the Red Devils between now and then is marked and that’s perhaps why Stan Collymore thinks that it will be the most one-sided final in history.
Last season, Erik ten Hag had already guided United back into the Champions League and had won the Carabao Cup, and but for David de Gea’s error, the final might even have gone to extra time.
Fast forward 12 months and United have finished in their lowest ever Premier League position and with a minus 1 goal difference.
FA Cup Final will be a cakewalk for Man City
It seems as if the squad have saved their best performances for the cup games, though they take on a Pep Guardiola side in magnificent form.
According to WhoScored, Man City have lost just once in their last 35 games in all competitions – the Champions League game against Real Madrid.
Of those 35 matches, an incredible 29 were wins, and the squad are clearly intent on securing a domestic double.
“Manchester United cannot win this season’s FA Cup Final,” Collymore said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.
“[…] I don’t see anything in this United squad to trouble Manchester City. People throw up statistics about Bruno’s creativity but there aren’t enough United players in form, whether it be their front three, midfield or central defensive pairing or the goalkeeper.
“[…] This will be the easiest FA Cup final derby victory ever.
“Last season City were still chasing a treble because they had the Champions League final to come after it. This season they haven’t so they can go out on a high. They’ve won the league, are in form and have got more options to score goals across the board than United.
“Unless City have a spectacularly bad day at the office, and we take the view that anything can happen – as it did when United beat Liverpool earlier in the competition – then this is going to be a straightforward derby victory.
“I can’t see anything other than a 3-0 win at least for City.”
It’s difficult to disagree with Collymore’s argument, for although anything can and does happen in football, Pep Guardiola’s side rarely drop the baton.
As has been seen over the past few seasons, when they get the bit between their teeth, they are an unstoppable force.
Whether such an expected procession year in and year out devalues the nature of English competition, be that FA Cup, Premier League or Carabao Cup is a moot point.
Unless the club are found guilty of the 115 charges against them, the likelihood is that City will remain Kings of English football for some while yet.
Rather than bleating about it, other clubs need to work out a way to outfox Guardiola.