Manchester United deserved FA Cup final win over Manchester City in 2024 says Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has insisted that comments about his Manchester City side being “hungover” in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester United was simply a joke.

Despite making history by winning a staggering fourth consecutive Premier League title at the end of the 2023/24 season, Manchester City’s campaign would ultimately end on a dampener as they were defeated in the final of the 2024 FA Cup at Wembley by Manchester United.

It was the ultimate revenge for Erik ten Hag’s side, who had been defeated just 12 months prior by the exact same opposition at the final stage of the same tournament, as Manchester City defeated the Old Trafford outfit en route to a historic Treble success in Istanbul.

This time around there would be no such joy for Manchester City, who succumbed to quick-fire first-half goals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, before responding late on to give them some hope via Jeremy Doku.

Last week, Pep Guardiola claimed that his Manchester City squad were a “little bit hungover” in the showdown with their bitter city rivals, but that stance has since been u-turned upon in his latest media address.

Speaking during a recent press conference, the City manager was asked for some level of clarification surrounding his claims of his squad suffering from a hangover against Erik ten Hag’s side at Wembley last season.

“It was a joke, my friends, it was a joke. I said I’m so bad to make jokes, and you get it,” Guardiola insisted.

“Of course we were ready! They beat us fairly, but of course after we won the Premier League, we had to celebrate it! My guys are really good on the pitch, but off the pitch they are REALLY good, too,” he continued.

“And they have to celebrate it! Otherwise, what sense? 11 months to win the Premier League and it was one, or two, or three days, but they trained really well on Thursday, Friday, two days before the final, and they were better.

“United deserved to win, we can analyse some episodes, but they deserved it! We congratulated them, and that’s all! I don’t make excuses because we were not ready, we were ready and they were better, that’s all… And that’s not a joke now!”

The meeting against Manchester United in the FA Cup final and Community Shield earlier this campaign would prove to be the final two head-to-head clashes between Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag, who was dismissed from his position at Old Trafford last week.

Ruben Amorim of Sporting will come in to replace the Dutchman, but only after challenging himself and his Portuguese champions against Manchester City on matchday four of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night in the capital of Portugal.