Manchester United win the FA Cup! ‘Dead man walking’ manager Erik ten Hag defies the odds as Prince William watches teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo score to down Man City at Wembley

Man United have won the FA Cup after beating derby rivals Man City 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Goals from academy students Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho saw the iconic trophy return to the red half of Manchester.

Prince William was present as he fulfilled his duties as President of the Football Association and was introduced to both groups of players by respective captains Bruno Fernandes and Kyle Walker as the teams took to the hallowed turf.

The Duke of Cornwall later took his place in the stands and was accompanied by his son and future heir to the throne Prince George, both dressed in matching suits.

Thousands traveled from the North West to the English capital in a repeat of last year’s FA Cup final, which Manchester City won on that occasion, on their way to achieving an historic Treble.

However, pre-match brawls between both groups of supporters threatened to sour the occasion, with one group clashing at a bus stop in Station Road, Harrow in the build-up.

A shirtless fan was seen wrestling on the ground at a bus stop where traffic was at a standstill before more men poured in. There was kicking and punching – and bottles thrown – during the shocking scenes in the hours leading up to the highly anticipated finale.

Fans of both sides were allocated certain pubs to drink in in north-west London ahead of the match, but that did not stop clashes in the streets with police concerned about possible violence.

Meanwhile, popular celebrities including former Olympian and Dancing on Ice star Greg Rutherford enjoyed the pre-match atmosphere in the luxurious setting of Club Wembley’s Bobby Moore restaurant.

Other notable celebrities, including Love Island reality TV duo Andrew Page and Tasha Ghouri, also posed for photos in the luxurious setting of one of Wembley’s bars.

Most of the focus before the match was not on the action on the pitch, but on the future of Man United manager Erik ten Hag, who is reportedly on the verge of being sacked.

It is claimed that the Dutchman will have his £9million-a-year contract ripped up regardless of the outcome. Whether he will be allowed to continue or not is yet to be confirmed.

Should he be sacked, it would be a cruel twist of fate for the 54-year-old after compatriot Louis van Gaal was sacked by United earlier in 2016 during United’s FA Cup celebrations.

Ten Hag was defiant ahead of the match despite the setbacks, stating in an interview with a publication in his native Netherlands that United’s sporting council – led by British petrochemical billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe – wanted him to lead their revolution.

However, United have already started investigating other managers, most notably former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, who wants to return to the Premier League, while Gareth Southgate has also been discussed.

Ten Hag sprinted onto the field at full-time and let out a shout of joy when his team’s title victory was confirmed after his team’s best performance of the season.

The former Ajax head coach showed no signs of retiring as he collected his winners’ medal in the top stand at Wembley, shaking hands with the club’s majority owner Avram Glazer and United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Contrasting emotions were on display from the City players as they collected their second place medals, with many, including Phil Foden, collecting their medals before they had descended back onto the pitch.

City’s players showed class by giving United a guard of honor as they lifted the FA Cup trophy.

Meanwhile, England boss Southgate took his place in the stands at the home of English football and was a keen observer as several members of his incoming England squad took to the pitch ahead of the upcoming European Championship.

Man United’s 19-year-old midfielder Mainoo was one player in particular who earned the attention of the Three Lions boss as he doubled his side’s lead with a brilliant strike in the first half.

Mainoo only received his first senior England call-up during the final series of friendlies in March, wasting no time in proving his ability and subsequently being included in Southgate’s provisional squad for the June competition in Germany.

His composed performance against Man City – capped by a brilliant goal – means he is now among the favorites to board a plane to Germany as Southgate cuts his squad to just 26 players.

One of those left out of contention for a place in his team was Marcus Rashford, after the United superstar was a shock omission from Southgate following a difficult campaign.

Determined to prove his worth to both club and country, Rashford started well. He enjoyed numerous challenges with compatriot Kyle Walker and made key contributions in the build-up to both goals.

The 26-year-old was later withdrawn as Ten Hag opted for fresher legs in attack with City desperate to find a way back into the game.

Belgian winger Jeremy Doku raised hopes of a late comeback after scoring deep into the match, but it would only count as a consolation as United held their nerve and were able to give Ten Hag a lifeline.