All eyes shift to the iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday as Manchester City enter the next stage of their quest to secure a historic treble.
One trophy is already safely in the bag after City overcame the challenge of Arsenal to secure their fifth Premier League title in six seasons.
The Gunners' eight-point lead in March was blown away as Pep Guardiola's side embarked on an 11-game win-streak that saw them finish the season five points clear at the top.
Next up will be the first ever all-Manchester FA Cup final and a clash with United that provides a fitting climax to the English domestic season. It is a match loaded with significance for both clubs.
For City, it would provide manager Guardiola with only his second FA Cup crown – after the 6-0 thrashing of hapless Watford in 2019 that saw them win a domestic treble – and set the team up perfectly ahead of next week's Champions League final against Inter Milan.
It would also move them one game away from repeating Manchester United's treble of 1999 – to date the only season in which a club won the English title, FA Cup and Champions League.
For United, it represents the chance to add the FA Cup to the League Cup they won in February by beating Newcastle United – a domestic cup double they have never achieved before. Having also finished third in the Premier League, it would represent an impressive first season at the helm for Erik ten Hag.
Another trophy is motivation enough for United, but stopping City's march towards a treble that could be sealed a week later in Istanbul will fuel their hunger.
“We will give everything and, when I say everything, it's everything … the fans can rely on that,” Ten Hag said in the wake of his side's semi-final win over Brighton after a tense penalty shoot-out.
The sky blues of Manchester will undoubtedly start as favourites on Saturday after finishing a hefty 14 points clear of the Red Devils in the league table.
City fans will still fondly remember their 6-3 home destruction of their neighbours in October when Erling Haaland became the first player to score three successive Premier League home hat-tricks, while Phil Foden also notched a treble at the Etihad.
After the match, though, Guardiola was surprisingly critical of his team. “Some players were not good today and have to improve,” said the Spaniard. “Perfection doesn't exist, it's impossible. But we have to try to look for it. We have done well today, but we can do better.”
It was a humiliating 90 minutes for Ten Hag's side who were 4-0 down at half-time and needed two goals in the last 10 minutes to prevent the scoreline from looking even more damaging.
“When you don't believe on the pitch, you can't win games,” said the Dutch coach. “It's quite simple, it's a lack of belief. That is unacceptable. We get undisciplined at following rules and you get hammered, that's what happened.”
But United can take comfort from the fact that in the return game at Old Trafford in January they gained some revenge with a 2-1 victory and inflicted one of only five defeats City suffered in the league all season.
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Manchester City's Ilkay Guendogan lifts the Premier League trophy following the game against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on May 21, 2023. Getty -
Manchester City players celebrate after the match. Getty -
City striker Erling Haaland celebrates with the trophy. Getty -
Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan celebrates with teammates. Reuters -
Ilkay Guendogan lifts the Premier League trophy. Getty -
Ilkay Gundogan kisses the Premier League trophy. PA -
Erling Haaland celebrates after the match. Reuters -
City's Ilkay Gundogan lifts the Premier League trophy as he celebrates with teammates. Reuters -
City striker Erling Haaland celebrates after the match. Getty -
Julian Alvarez scores for City in their 1-0 win at the Etihad. Getty -
City fans celebrate after the match. Getty -
Manchester City fans on the pitch after the match. PA -
City's Julian Alvarez celebrates with teammates after scoring. AP -
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. AFP -
City fans do 'the Poznan' celebration during the match. AFP -
City substitute Erling Haaland shoots at goal. AFP -
Chelsea's Raheem Sterling misses a first-half chance. AFP -
Julian Alvarez celebrates after scoring for Manchester City. Getty -
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. AFP -
City attacker Phil Foden passes the ball. Getty -
Jack Grealish, left, talks to Erling Haaland on the Manchester City bench. AFP -
Chelsea give Manchester City players a guard of honour before the match. Reuters -
Manchester City fans before the match. AP
“We've improved, that's obvious,” said Ten Hag after the match. “A lot of aspects in our game we have to improve but we're progressing, that's quite obvious.”
Leading the line for City in the derby clash in the capital and aiming to punish United again will be Haaland, who has slashed his way through English defences like a hot knife through butter.
The records tumbled thick and fast as his 36 goals in 35 Premier League games beat the tally for most goals in a single season, previously held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer. Only Dixie Dean's 63 goals – for Everton in 1927/28 – beats Haaland's 52 across all competitions in a single campaign.
“He is a unique person, as a player but also the person is special,” said Guardiola after Haaland broke the Premier League record. “It is an incredible milestone. One day maybe he will break his record or someone else will, but they will have to score a lot of goals.”
Unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old was named player of the season by the Premier League and the Football Writers' Association – with the Professional Footballers' Association award almost surely in the post and well.
The challenge now lies first with Manchester United and then Inter Milan to prevent the Norwegian from making it three team trophies to go with his numerous individual gongs in what has already been a breathtaking first season in England.
