It was, quite simply, the finest Manchester United result since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. The bar has been lowered, the trophies drying up but this was a day for their fans to celebrate wildly – and not only because they stopped Manchester City from making yet more history.
Another Premier League and FA Cup Double had been on for Pep Guardiola and his all-conquering team to follow the one from last season and nobody gave United a prayer. The bookmakers had them at 8-1 to win. Erik ten Hag’s time as manager is up after the most traumatic of seasons; eighth in the league their lowest finish since 1989‑90, chaos at virtually every turn. And yet United refused to yield.
