Man City v Man United Bet Builder Tips
Phil Foden Anytime Goalscorer
Scott McTominay to have 1 or more Shots on Target
Bruno Fernandes to Commit 1 or more Fouls
Phil Foden to be Fouled 1 or more Times
Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be Shown a Card
- A Bet Builder with these selections pays at approximately 41/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Man City v Man United
FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London
TV: BBC One, iPlayer, ITV, ITVX, Saturday, 3pm
The outcome of the 2024 FA Cup final looks to be a foregone conclusion. Manchester City are only slightly longer odds than they were when facing Watford five years ago, and that ended in a 6-0 thumping.
Manchester United are priced at a similar level to Hull against Arsenal in 2014 and Wigan Athletic against Man City the year before. Whatever else happens at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, that’s utterly embarrassing for the Red Devils.
City will win and everyone will shrug their shoulders, just as they did when they won the league last season. Isn’t English football in a healthy place these days, eh?
It will be hard for us to find value in the market on the teams, so let’s look at some player picks instead.
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Phil Foden Anytime Goalscorer
Every Christmas you see lists of stats for which players have been the best in that particular year, and people hate them. A football season is like school, from the end of one summer through to the start of the next one, it isn’t an annual contest.
But at this time of the season, looking at the annual stats is a handy form guide. No player has scored more Premier League goals than Manchester City’s Phil Foden in 2024, with the England international netting 14 times in his 16 games. Exclude penalties, and he’s only three goals behind United’s top three men – Rasmus Hojlund, nine, Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho, both on four, combined. Erling Haaland will probably score this weekend too, of course, but Foden is the value pick.
Scott McTominay to have 1 or more Shots on Target
Foden would also be a good selection in the shots on target market. He had four when these teams last met, as many as United had in both league clashes this term combined. More relevant in betting terms is the fact that only Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins had at least one shot on target in more Premier League matches (29) than the City midfielder this season, 25.
We have to throw a bone to United fans though, and the bone is covered in McSauce. Scott McTominay has recently been playing up front in Erik ten Hag’s 4-2-2-2 formation, but even before that he had shots on target against City at Old Trafford earlier this season and in the FA Cup final last year. With an effort on target in all four of his starts in the competition this season, McTominay can record at least one here.
Bruno Fernandes to Commit 1 or more Fouls
With City certain to dominate the ball and United likely to be given the runaround, you might think one of their defensive midfielders like Sofyan Amrabat or Kobbie Mainoo would be the pick in the committing fouls markets.
Yet only nine players were penalised in more Premier League matches than Bruno Fernandes was this season. Part of that is down to him playing almost every week, but he does have a petulant streak at times. Kicking an opponent can be a shortcut to showing you care, after all.
The only player to commit a foul in the three Manchester derbies in the last 12 months was Fernandes. He’s certain to start and history suggests he’s also certain to foul.
Phil Foden to be Fouled 1 or more Times
Due to their contrasting positions on the pitch, Fernandes isn’t very likely to foul Foden. City’s number 47 should be upended by somebody in a red shirt in this match though. Foden ended 2023/24 joint-eighth in the Premier League for matches fouled in, the highest position for anyone from either of the Manchester clubs. He only had five starts in which this didn’t occur, neither of them against United.
Indeed, the four fouls Foden felt in the derby at the Etihad were his joint-most of the season. United need to stop him and this is how they will try to do it.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be Shown a Card
Referee Andy Madley averages the second-fewest cards per game among Premier League regulars, so it’s possible our Bet Builder fails thanks to a lack of bookings. However, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the first player to receive a yellow card in last year’s final and he is likely to be in trouble once again.
Whether Pep Guardiola selects Jeremy Doku or Jack Grealish on the left, the United right-back is going to have to deal with a lot of attempted dribbles. If he mistimes a tackle, he can expect his opponent to roll across the pitch and Madley to brandish a rare card. Sorry, Aaron, but that’s the way it goes.
Man City v Man United Betting Tips
Phil Foden Anytime Goalscorer
Scott McTominay to have 1 or more Shots on Target
Bruno Fernandes to Commit 1 or more Fouls
Phil Foden to be Fouled 1 or more Times
Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be Shown a Card
- A Bet Builder with these selections pays at approximately 41/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD TO YOUR BETSLIP.
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
More FA Cup Final tips
- Crouchy: I’m expecting plenty of action in my 18/1 FA Cup Final Flutter
- Thommo: Check out this 8/1 shot for Man City v Man Utd
- A 4/1 play leads the way in our FA Cup Final special bets
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