When Pep Guardiola is calling you ‘one of the best I’ve ever seen’, then you know you’ve made it. And while few may be giving Manchester United a hope in hell ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final rematch, you won’t find the Man City boss writing off Erik ten Hag’s side in a hurry.
Not when the Red Devils have four players capable of producing something out of nothing, and turning a game on it’s head in an instant.
Man City may have the better team – mass-producing wins and silverware with seamless efficiency – but Manchester United have the individuals to hurt even the best sides on the planet on their day.
Guardiola knows all about that. Even during a pretty dreadful season, Marcus Rashford still thundered in a bonafide wondergoal at the Etihad Stadium in March. That, however, wasn’t even enough to claim the Premier League’s Goal of the Season award, given instead of Alejandro Garnacho after the Argentine produced an overhead kick worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Wayne Rooney’s.
Rasmus Hojlund, despite the lack of consistent service, has 16 goals in his debut season. Many of those all his own work.
And then there’s Bruno Fernandes. Perhaps the only player in European football who could be labelled – and the statistics back this up – as a greater creative talent than City’s own Belgian sensation Kevin de Bruyne.
Pep Guardiola hails Manchester United captain
“They have the runners. The actions from brilliant players they have up front,” Guardiola says, via Beanyman Sports. “Garnacho, Rashford, Hojlund, of course Bruno Fernandes. When he has the ball, everything happens.
“The influence from Bruno on that team is outstanding, unbelievable. I saw the last few games and I said; ‘This guy is… His creativity is one of the best I’ve ever seen’.
They have experience too.”
Man United’s modern day Captain Marvel, despite a brief and very rare spell on the sidelines, could hardly be heading to Wembley in better form. The Portuguese ‘Magnifico’ has ten goals or assists in his last eight games in all competitions.
And, with another Manchester United Player of the Year award heading his way in midweek, only David de Gea has now claimed the Sir Matt Busby-shaped trophy on more occasions (four) than the Red Devils finest signing in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
“To my kids, and to the rest of the United fans across the world, I just want to say; I know it has not been easy. I know it has not been to our standard,” Fernandes wrote in an emotional piece in the Player’s Tribune which will leave not a single dry eye in the house.
“But we’re on our way to Wembley. Get behind us one more time.”
Can Bruno Fernandes fire Ten hag to Wembley glory?
Rio Ferdinand, who won just the one FA Cup in his own Man United career, believes Fernandes, Rashford and Garnacho represent Ten Hag’s best chance of making it two Wembley successes in two years in English football.
“I think you have always got a chance. You have got a puncher’s chances, so to speak, always in a final,” Ferdinand tells talkSPORT (17 May). “The FA Cup is built on surprises.
“I think Manchester City are way above Manchester United in this present moment in time.
“And I am probably starting to feel more hopeful than anything else that Man United come out of the blocks and we get some sort of crazy performance in a moment in the game from a Bruno, a Garnacho, maybe a Rashford, who can actually turn a game on its head at any given time.”