Manchester City win FA Cup to secure historic domestic football treble
Manchester City equalled the highest number of goals scored in an FA Cup final beating Watford 6-0 at Wembley.
Sunday 19 May 2019 11:13, UK
Manchester City have beaten Watford to win the FA Cup, becoming the first men's team to win a domestic treble.
Man City had already won the Premier League title and the League Cup, and taking the FA Cup as well makes them the first men's team to win all three major trophies in one season.
Arsenal's women's side has won it four times.
City were 2-0 up at half time thanks to goals from David Silva (26) and a second attributed to Raheem Sterling (38) but with some question over whether he was the goalscorer.
The FA decided after the match to attribute the goal to Gabriel Jesus, as it was over the line before Sterling touched it.
A second half goal from Kevin De Bruyne meant City sat 3-0 up (61) and seemed all but confirmed to make history.
Gabriel Jesus made it 4-0, justifying his place in the starting 11 above City legend Sergio Aguero, before Raheem Sterling scored twice to put them out of site at 6-0.
After the fourth goal, Sky Sports' Adam Bate at Wembley said: "Slightly strange atmosphere at Wembley now. The Manchester City fans are in party mood and the Watford supporters seem determined to enjoy themselves even as this unfolds in front of them. Can they keep it down to four…"
The blues showed no mercy, with Sterling adding both a fifth and sixth goal (81, 87), but not managing a hat-trick.
It equals the most goals ever scored by a team in an FA Cup final, matching Bury who beat Derby 6-0 in 1903, and Blackburn who won 6-1 against The Wednesday, in 1890.
Man City captain Vincent Kompany said: "It starts with the manager, who set the standard at the start of the season and said we had to go back-to-back (as title winners), and then it's the group.
"It's the best team in the world. To set such a high standard for such a long period, for two years running. What a team, what a privilege.
"As soon as we scored the (first) two goals and in the second half they had to press, it opened up the game for us and made it so much more achievable to create chances. It wasn't as easy as the score says, but what a season, what a tremendous club."
Sterling said: "It just shows what the manager's building here.
"At the start of the season he said, 'let's try and get the mentality right and go for the Premier League again', and we've done that again, exceptionally well.
"It's a credit to all the boys, being mentally switched on throughout the season which has been long with the World Cup as well. Everyone's been focused and on their A-game the whole way through."
Watford manager Javi Gracia said afterwards that their opponents had been "better".
He said: "In the first half we defended better but in the second half it was impossible."
City are just the fourth men's team to win both major domestic cup competitions in the same season, after Arsenal in 1992-93, Liverpool in 2000-01 and Chelsea in 2006-07.
Manchester City were praised for paying for more than 50 coaches for fans to travel down to London for the final.
Each coach contained the name of the player who had paid for it and a signed picture was left on each seat.
Supporters had to pay just 1p to get to the final.
After the match, Man City tweeted "We are the fourmidables" - adding the Community Shield to the list of trophies in the cabinet.
It represents more great success for manager Guardiola, who has now won every major trophy available to him as a manager.
Lyon's women's team won the Champions League today for the fourth time in a row, beating Barcelona 4-1 in Budapest.