Pep Guardiola Reacts To Man City's 2-1 Defeat To Man United In The FA Cup Final.

Pep Guardiola has admitted that the reason his side Manchester City were handed a shock 2-1 by Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley stadium on Saturday evening, was because he got his tactics wrong, and not for over celebrating their Premier League title.

Man City failed to defend their FA Cup crown, as the holders who secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title six days ago were hit with two goals in nine first-half minutes by United to dash their hopes of becoming the first team in English football history to win back-to-back league and cup doubles in the same season.

Despite dominating the ball and putting United under sustained pressure for much of the game, Guardiola’s side lacked the attacking edge they have demonstrated during the season and looked out of sorts in the final third, ultimately coming unstuck at the hands of clinical finishing from Erik ten Hag’s team. 

Guardiola watched as two goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo in the 30th and 39th minute gave United the lead, but Jeremy Doku late goal was but a mere consolatory goal.

Erik ten Hag is the first manager to win a major domestic cup final against Pep Guardiola’s Man City. Guardiola has played in three FA Cup finals, won 2 and lost 1.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola told BBC Sport that his team did not play well in the first half against the Red Devils.

“We don’t play to beat United, we play for ourselves,” Guardiola said.

“The second half we were there. United are always a transition team, they have been for 10, 20, 30 years.

“[In the ] first half we struggled a bit but second half we were better. In general it was a good performance for a final.”

He added: “Many things can happen – they scored two goals and we could not score more.

“Tactically, it was not good,” added the Spaniards. 

“I was not good today. You plan a game for different positions but it didn’t work.

“Even with that, we arrive two or three times in the final third and byline and made nothing from crosses. They made one goal from one shot and the goal from (Kobbie) Mainoo and no more than that.

“Always when we play against United we have the control, and we created in the second half but we were not able to do it.”