Manchester City moved to within one victory of completing an historic Treble as they beat Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final thanks to Ilkay Gundogan‘s double on Saturday.
City captain Gundogan entered the record books by scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup final history as he crashed home a stunning volley 12 seconds after kickoff.
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United, seeking to win both domestic cups in the same season for the first time and at the same time wreck City’s hopes of emulating their own Treble in 1999, levelled against the run of play with a 33rd-minute Bruno Fernandes penalty.
But Gundogan restored City’s lead with another volley seven minutes after the interval and Pep Guardiola’s side resisted some late pressure to win the trophy for a seventh time.
The Premier League champions face Inter Milan in next Saturday’s Champions League final when victory will see them match United’s treble in the 1998-99 season.
For the first time in 190 meetings the clubs were clashing for silverware, and not just bragging rights, and Wembley was decked in red and sky blue.
Smoke from the prematch pyrotechnics had not even cleared when City took the lead in spectacular fashion.
Keeper Stefan Ortega launched a long punt towards Erling Haaland and as the ball bounced into the path of Gundogan he did not hesitate to send a dipping right-foot volley arcing over a transfixed David De Gea.
It eclipsed the previous fastest FA Cup final goal scored by Louis Saha after 25 seconds for Everton against Chelsea in 2009 and City threatened to run riot.
