Pep Guardiola took responsibility for Man City’s FA Cup final defeat (Photo: Getty)
One player was key to Manchester United’s shock FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, according to Pep Guardiola.
In what was potentially Erik ten Hag’s final game in charge of the side, United stunned their rivals 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday.
In what was perhaps their best performance of an otherwise rotten season, the Red Devils found themselves two goals up at half-time courtesy of teenage stars Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
The latter was later awarded the player of the match award for his tireless performance in midfield, while captain Bruno Fernandes and the under-fire Marcus Rashford also recieved acclaim.
Despite letting in a late goal from Jeremy Doku, goalkeeper Andre Onana also put on a great show, making several fantastic saves.
But there was another player that stepped up to the plate when needed, catching the eye of Guardiola.
‘Lisandro Martinez is top five centre-backs in the world,’ the City boss said post-match.
Lisandro Martinez has won his second trophy with Man Utd (Photo: Getty)
‘He made the difference on this game by playing passes through our defence.’
Martinez returned from injury in time to start the final and was superb for 73 minutes before being replaced by Jonny Evans after suffering with cramp.
The Argentine was a vital player for Ten Hag at Ajax and then in his first season at Old Trafford, but has missed much of this campaign with injury, making just 14 appearances, 11 of them starts across all competitions.
Many, Ten Hag included, have attributed United’s struggles this season to his absence, with the 26-year-old saying after the match: ‘For me it was a really, really tough season.
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‘You know, my injuries, and it’s all new for me, I’ve never been injured [before]. In the foot, in the knee, in the calf as well! It was like, “Is this a dream or what?”.
‘And now I’m really strong, mentally and physically. Today, for sure, because I played only against Newcastle, Brighton and now the final, I felt cramp in my legs so I couldn’t finish the game.
‘That’s why I was unhappy, but I knew I have team-mates behind me and they gave everything.’
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