Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney went against the grain and predicted the future as his old club beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Before the match, many pundits expected United to be heavily beaten by City after a poor campaign. However, the Reds showed up on the big day to secure Europa League football next season.
Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring on the half-hour mark as a mix-up between Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega saw the former loop a header over his goalkeeper into the path of the Argentine to tap home. Marcus Rashford had a goal ruled out for offside before United added a second on 40 minutes.
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Garnacho’s cross was expertly helped on by Bruno Fernandes for Kobbie Mainoo to slot home. City piled on the pressure in the second half and ensured a nervy end when Jeremy Doku’s strike squeezed through the gloves of Andre Onana.
However, the Reds showed great game management to hold on and secure their first FA Cup since the 2016 victory over Crystal Palace. One man who was feeling particularly smug at full-time was Rooney who predicted not only that United would win but that the scoreline would be 2-1.
As mentioned, he was more optimistic than some of his former United teammates. Rio Ferdinand for instance predicted that while he hoped the Reds would win, his head thought that City would be comfortable victors.
Meanwhile, Roy Keane predicted a 2-1 or 3-1 victory for the Blues. One man who did think United would win was Gary Neville but he thought the final would be decided on penalties.
Lineker, Shearer and company hailed Rooney for his ability to tell the future after the game as Manchester United delivered an impressive performance to pull off a very unlikely result.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
