When is a Manchester derby, so much more than a Manchester derby?

Well how about when it is the first ever FA Cup Final between the two local rivals?

On Saturday 3^rd June, Manchester City and Manchester United will meet once again in the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

City will be chasing a domestic double by winning the first Manchester derby FA Cup Final and also the second leg of what could be an incredible treble.

On the other hand, United will be hoping to claim a second domestic cup trophy this season and in doing so deny Manchester City the double and a chance at the treble.

If United do win then they will preserve their status as the only team to win the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season (back in 1999).

You can find a fantastic range of ante-post bets on the big game available at bet365 Sport right now and remember, more markets will be made available as we approach the big game.

Remember too, extensive in-play betting will also be available as the two Manchester giants clash for the famous trophy.

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It is a huge game with plenty at stake for the two rivals, much more than bragging rights as the winner of the Manchester derby.

So let’s now preview the game before we give you our top tips on the markets we feel offer best value for this intriguing encounter.

The 2023 FA Cup Final Preview

• Date – Saturday 3^rd June, Kick off 3pm
• Venue – Wembley Stadium, London
• Full Time Result Odds – Manchester City (8/15 fav), Manchester United (11/2), Draw (4/1)
• Referee – Paul Tierney
• Assistant Refs – Neil Davies, Scott Ledger
• Fourth Official – Peter Bankes
• VAR – David Coote

Manchester City

After another outstanding season, Pep Guardiola and his team stand on the brink of their first treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

With the Premier League won, City need just two more wins to follow Manchester United into the history books as Treble winners.

Let’s now take a look at their squad.

Manchester City Squad

Injuries & Suspensions

• Out – None
• Probable – Nathan Ake

Management Team

• Manager – Pep Guardiola
• Assistant Manager – Rodolpho Borrell
• 1^st Team Coach – Carlos Vicens, Enzo Maresca
• Goalkeeping Coach – Richard Wright
• Physio – Federico Genovesi

Season’s Performance (Non-FA Cup)

• Premier League – Winners
• Carabao Cup – Lost in Quarterfinals (v Southampton)
• Champions League – Finalists v Inter Milan (June 10^th in Istanbul)
• Current Form (last 10) – Won – 8, Drawn – 2, Lost – 0 (Goals 24, Conceded – 5)

The Road To Wembley

• 3^rd Round – v Chelsea (H) – W 4-0 (Mahrez 23,85pen, Alvarez 30pen, Foden 38)
• 4^th Round – v Arsenal (H) – W 1-0 (Ake 64)
• 5^th Round – v Bristol City (A) – W 3-0 (Foden 7,74, De Bruyne 81)
• Quarter Finals – v Burnley (H) – W 6-0 (Haaland 32,35,59, Alvarez 62,73, Palmer 68)
• Semi Finals – v Sheff Utd (N) – W 3-0 (Mahrez 43pen, 61, 66)

City’s run to Wembley without conceding a goal has seen them set a new record in the FA Cup and they have scored 17 in the process across their five games.

No team has previously reached the final without conceding a goal and that underlines the tough task that Manchester United will face.

Manchester United

There have been lots of positives and a few negatives about Manchester United’s season, but with Champions League football all but assured and an FA Cup Final place, it has been one of United’s better seasons in recent times.

The Red Devils now have the opportunity to crush City’s hopes of matching their treble of 1999, while landing their second domestic cup silverware of the season under Ten Hag.

Let’s now take a closer look at their squad.

Manchester United Squad

Injuries & Suspensions

• Out – Lisandro Martinez (Foot/Ankle), Phil Jones (Knee), Donny Van de Beek (Knee), Mason Greenwood (Suspended), Marcel Sabitzer (Knee)
• Probable – Thomas Heaton, Marcus Rashford

Management Team

• Head Coach – Erik Ten Hag
• Assistant Manager – Steve McClaren
• 1^st Team Coach – Mitchell van der Gaag
• Goalkeeping Coach – Richard Harris
• Physio – John Davin

Season’s Performance (Non-FA Cup)

• Premier League – 3^rd or 4th
• Carabao Cup – Winners
• Europa League – Lost in Quarterfinals (v Sevilla)
• Current Form (last 10) – Won – 4, Drawn – 3. Lost – 3 (Goals – 10, Conceded – 9)

The Road To Wembley

• 3^rd Round – v Everton (H) – W 3-1 (Antony 4, Coady 52 OG, Rashford 90+7)
• 4^th Round – v Reading (H) – W 3-1 (Casemiro 54,58, Fred 66)
• 5^th Round – v West Ham (H) – W 3-1 (Aguerd og 77, Garnacho 90, Fred 90+5)
• Quarter Finals – v Fulham (H) – W 3-1 (Fernandes 75pen,90+6, Sabitzer 77)
• Semi Finals – v Brighton (N) – D 0-0 (won 7-6 on penalties)

Head To Head (all games)

• Played – 189
• Man City Wins – 58
• Man Utd Wins – 78
• Draws – 53

Head To Head (FA Cup only)

• Played – 9
• Man City Wins – 3
• Man Utd Wins – 6
• Draws – 0

Most Recent 10 Manchester Derby Results

• Jan 2023 – Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City
• Oct 2022 – Manchester City 6-3 Manchester United
• Mar 2022 – Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United
• Nov 2021 – Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City
• Mar 2021 – Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United
• Jan 2021 – Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City (League Cup)
• Dec 2020 – Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City
• Mar 2020 – Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City
• Jan 2020 – Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United (League Cup)
• Jan 2020 – Manchester United 1-3 Manchester City (League Cup)

Man City Wins – 5, Man Utd Wins 4, Draws – 1

FA Cup Final – Top Betting Tips

Who Will Win?

I can’t see past a solid Manchester City win here. United have a decent record against City, but in the key games, City have had the better of things of late and I think that will be the case here. City are 8/15 to win the game with bet365.

What Will The Score Be?

A tough one to call this as it depends very much how the game goes. If we get a goal early I think that we could see a game with a fair few goals. If it is scoreless at half time, it could be a tense game in the 2^nd half. However, I think the former is the more likely and I’d back City to win 3-1 at 10/1.

Who Will Score A Goal?

The odds for the anytime goalscorer market are not yet available, but I’d back Kevin de Bruyne or Riyad Mahrez for Manchester City to score, of it you are a United fan, take Marcus Rashford to grab a goal for them at any point in the game.

*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport at the time of writing, but may have changed in the meantime.