Manchester City hope to bag yet another trophy in the Pep Guardiola era, looking to further cement their recent domestic dominance as they take on rivals Manchester United in the 2024 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
No club has ever won the English domestic league and FA Cup double in consecutive seasons, a mark which would be broken should Man City claim victory here.
Yet their opponents Man United seemingly have even more at stake, with next season's European hopes squarely on the line in this match. A victory would put the Red Devils in next season's Europa League field, but thanks to a miserable eighth-place standing in the Premier League table, defeat would leave them out of European competitions altogether for the first time since the late 1980's.
Man City won both the Premier League meetings between these two clubs en route to their fourth straight title, but having been bounced from both the Champions League and EFL Cup earlier than expected, they will be hungry to prove they are still emphatically the top dogs in England.
MORE: Prediction and best bets for Man City vs. Man United in FA Cup final
Man City vs. Man United goal scorer best bet for FA Cup final
| Man City | BetMGM (USA) | Man United | BetMGM (USA) |
| Erling Haaland | First: +240 Anytime: -175 | Rasmus Hojlund | First: +1050 Anytime: +333 |
| Phil Foden | First: +450 Anytime: +130 | Scott McTominay | First: +1200 Anytime: +380 |
| Julian Alvarez | First: +700 Anytime: +210 | Bruno Fernandes | First: +1200 Anytime: +380 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | First: +850 Anytime: +260 | Marcus Rashford | First: +1400 Anytime: +475 |
- Pick: Phil Foden anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +130 (BetMGM)
Without knowing who Pep Guardiola will start, selecting a goal scorer is extremely difficult, but we can take a few pre-match hints to help make a prediction.
While Phil Foden was in and out of the Man City lineup through Premier League play, Pep Guardiola often saved him for Cup action both domestically and in Europe. Foden started all but five of Man City's 20 non-league fixtures this season, coming off the bench for their lone EFL Cup game and the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, while being an unused substitute just three times.
The Premier League Player of the Season finished the campaign on an absolute tear, scoring 14 goals across all competitions since the start of February. He's also eviscerated Man United in the past, with six goals in his last four Manchester derby starts. If Foden's in, that's where the value is.
Man City vs. Man United total shots best bet for FA Cup final
| Team | FanDuel (USA) | Player | FanDuel (USA) |
| Total shots | Over 31: -115 Over 32: +110 | Erling Haaland 2+ SOT | -170 |
| Man City total shots | Over 21: -130 Over 22: +100 | Phil Foden 2+ SOT | +110 |
| Man United total shots | Over 9: -105 Over 10: +150 | Kevin De Bruyne 2+ SOT | +240 |
| Total SOT | Over 10: -120 Over 11: +135 | Bruno Fernandes 2+ SOT | +600 |
| Man City total SOT | Over 7: -110 Over 8: +170 | Marcus Rashford 2+ SOT | +650 |
| Man United total SOT | Over 2: -180 Over 3: +135 | Alejandro Garnacho 2+ SOT | +750 |
- Pick: Alejandro Garnacho 1+ shot on target
- Odds: +120 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Josko Gvardiol 1+ shot on target
- Odds: +135 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Erling Haaland 1+ headed shots on target
- Odds: +240 (FanDuel)
Manchester United are likely to play on the counter in this match, hoping to keep City under wraps better than they did in the two league meetings. Rasmus Hojlund has been a quality outlet for United this season, especially on the counter, but he isn't starting the match. Instead, the main outlet will be Alejandro Garnacho, who can easily find at least one effort on frame. You can pair it with a play of Marcus Rashford 1+ shot on target too at +105, with one of those hitting nets a small profit while both provide a solid victory together.
On the flip side, United have been utterly putrid defending set-pieces this season, especially corners where they've conceded the second-most expected goals behind only bottom-feeders Sheffield United in Premier League play this year. Man City's two biggest corner threats are Erling Haaland (of course) and Josko Gvardiol, with Haaland racking up 12 shots from corners this season and bagging two goals, and the in-form Gvardiol collecting 16 efforts from a corner this year, also scoring twice.
Haaland is also a menace in the air, and with Man United's best aerial defender Harry Maguire injured for this match, he'll be primed to get up to meet the ball either from a corner or from open play.
Man City vs. Man United corners best bet for FA Cup final
| BetMGM (USA) | |
| Total Corners | Over 10.5: -150 Under 10.5: +100 |
| Man City total corners | Over 7.5: -125 Under 7.5: -120 |
| Man United total corners | Over 3.5: +105 Under 3.5: -160 |
- Pick: Man City over 7.5 corners
- Odds: -125 (BetMGM)
While we're backing Man United to defensively keep hold of the game, that doesn't mean Man City won't push for goals throughout the match. Whether the Premier League champions manage to put the match away early or leave it late, they've made a habit of racking up set-piece chances, and Man United have made a habit of letting them.
In their two Premier League meetings this season, Man City have racked up 15 and 12 corners, and it doesn't stop there — the Red Devils averaged 8.7 corners conceded through their 18 Premier League matches in 2024.
Man City aren't exactly the most vertical team in the world, but on sheer possessional volume they have the potential to rack up set-piece chances. City topped this high bar in 10 of their 19 Premier League matches in 2024, and should be happy to take what United give them.
Man City vs. Man United yellow cards best bet for FA Cup final
| Team | DraftKings (USA) |
| Total cards | Over 4.5: -120 Under 4.5: -115 |
| Man City total cards | Over 1.5: -155 Under 1.5: +110 |
| Man United total cards | Over 2.5: -140 Under 2.5: +100 |
| Red card? | Yes: +310 No: -575 |
- Pick: Under 4.5 cards
- Odds: -115 (DraftKings)
Referee Andy Madley is at the forefront of a recent shift away from heaping yellow cards on players in big, globally broadcast matches, averaging just 3.78 yellow cards per match in the Premier League this season, third-fewest of the regular matchday officials in England's top-flight (15+ appointments) this season.
There's been an even bigger shift in this direction of late, having issued over four yellow cards just twice amongst his 12 matches in 2024. That run includes the latest Merseyside derby, a fixture often overflowing with venom, where he issued just three total cards, including two for dissent in second-half stoppage time.
Even this fixture has simmered down of late, with their most recent meeting seeing just a single yellow card drawn, and last year's FA Cup final reaching four, with three of those coming in the final 10 minutes of regulation. This is an inflated total thanks to the rivalry matchup, but it should finish in check.
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