- Manchester City looked off the pace in a seriously underwhelming FA Cup final
- Man United took a 2-0 lead and City’s recent drunken party was discussed
Manchester City’s players have been accused of still being hungover as they put on a strangely lethargic FA Cup final display.
Manchester United arrived at Wembley as big underdogs but City’s stars looked way off, leading some fans to speculate they are still feeling the effects of their post-league title celebration.
“City are playing like a team that has been taking the piss all week,” said a post on X.
“City players look like they can’t run at all,” wrote another. ‘Too much booze.’
Pep Guardiola’s side sealed a fourth successive Premier League title with victory over West Ham last weekend as the players held a wild celebration to mark their latest title.
Man City were left shocked after a disastrous first half at Wembley in the FA Cup final
The final came days after the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (left) partied until 5am
Phil Foden (left) and Jack Grealish (right) celebrated winning a fourth straight league title
Many spectators at the FA Cup final thought City’s players looked as if they were hungover
Jack Grealish, who started on the bench at Wembley, and Erling Haaland led the party as the City stars celebrated to 5 a.m. at the Greek restaurant Fenix, as players brought their wives and girlfriends for a boozy evening.
Grealish and Haaland posed flashing their watches in the early evening as a Premier League medal dripped from the striker’s neck.
The celebration started in the locker room, where players danced and sang, “Campeones, campeones, ole, ole, ole!”
Man City’s players, including Erling Haaland, partied until 5am after winning the league title
Erling Haaland’s girlfriend Isabel Haugsend threw herself into dancing during the night out
Later, Phil Foden’s girlfriend Rebecca Cooke attended the festivities – as did his mother Claire Rowlands – while Rico Lewis was also seen holding hands with his partner, and Guardiola’s wife Cristina was pictured.
“A few days later you just get taken back a bit,” Gary Neville said earlier this week, suggesting it opened a door for Man United to tap into.
They took advantage as United raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
The first goal came from a misunderstanding between Josko Gvardiol and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, while the second saw United cut through City before Mainoo fired home.
Things did not improve for City in the second half, apart from Haaland hitting the crossbar, as United continued to dictate the tempo of the match.
The decision to have such a big celebration ahead of the FA Cup final will now be questioned as their trophy parade around Manchester on Sunday now follows such a disappointing performance at Wembley.