FA Cup Final: Best Bets for the Manchester Derby at Wembley Stadium
![FA Cup Final: Best Bets for the Manchester Derby at Wembley Stadium](https://www.newbettingsites.uk/assets/uploads/FA-Cup-Final-Best-Bets-for-the-Manchester-Derby-at-Wembley-Stadium.jpg)
Hot on the heels of adding yet another Premier League title to the Etihad trophy cabinet, Pep Guardiola’s men have their eyes on more silverware in the oldest cup competition of them all.
Always a momentous date in the season, the 2024 edition of the FA Cup Final has a little added spice, as lying in wait for the Citizens at Wembley Stadium are the boys from the other side of Manchester, as Eric ten Haag bids to end a beleaguered season on a high.
City are understandably hot favourites to prevail, but will the game go as the odds suggest, or can the Red Devils cause a shock? Here, using data presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out our best bets for one of the flagship fixtures of the domestic footballing year.
City vs United: FA Cup Record
First successful in 1909 and most recently in 2016, Manchester United’s total of 12 FA Cup wins sees them sit second behind Arsenal in the all-time list.
City’s total of seven wins places them five behind United. Three of those have come since the 2010/11 season – most notably last year, when beating Manchester United 2-1 in the final. United will hope things go this time around, having fallen behind to an Ilkay Gundogan strike after just 12 seconds – the fastest FA Cup Final goal ever.
Route to the Final
Manchester City
- Third Round - Huddersfield Town (H) – 5-0
- Fourth Round - Tottenham Hotspur (A) – 1-0
- Fifth Round - Luton Town (A) – 6-2
- Quarter Final - Newcastle United (H) – 2-0
- Semi Final - Chelsea (N) – 1-0
Manchester United
- Third Round - Wigan Athletic (A) – 2-0
- Fourth Round - Newport County (A) – 4-2
- Fifth Round - Nottingham Forest (A) – 1-0
- Quarter Final - Liverpool (H) – 4-3(a.e.t)
- Semi Final - Coventry City (N) – 3-3(penalties)
With four consecutive ties against Premier League opposition, City had the tougher route to the final but fairly skated through with clean sheets in four of their five games. United had things easier on paper but arrive on the back of two classic ties – edging past Liverpool courtesy of a last-gasp Amad Diallo strike and surviving despite coughing up a 3-0 lead against Championship outfit Coventry City.
The League Meetings
Manchester United 0 – 3 Manchester City
The gulf in class between the sides was evident in this October clash at Old Trafford. City boasting 60.5% possession, winning the total shot count 21-7, the shots on target count 10-3, and the corners count 12-7 on their way to a 3-0 success. Erling Halland netted from open play and the penalty spot, with Phil Foden sealing the deal ten minutes from time. Just about the only area United came out on top was in the card count, which they led 4-1.
Manchester City 3 – 1 Manchester United
A narrower margin of victory at the Etihad, but, if anything, City were even more dominant – winning the total shot count 27-3, shots on target count 8-1, corners count 15-2 and bossing the game with a huge 72.9% possession. Phil Foden with a brace and Erling Haaland cancelled out an early Marcus Rashford thunderbolt. City kept on the right side of arbiter Andy Madley, whilst United picked up two yellow cards.
Recent Form
Manchester City
- West Ham (H) – 3-1
- Tottenham Hotspur (A) – 2-0
- Fulham (A) – 4-0
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) – 5-1
- Nottingham Forest (A) – 2-0
Manchester United</h3?
- Brighton & Hove Albion (A) – 2-0
- Newcastle United (H) – 3-2
- Arsenal (H) – 0-1
- Crystal Palace (A) – 0-4
- Burnley (H) – 1-1
City win the recent form competition with ease – scoring 16 times and conceding only twice as they never really looked in danger of losing the title. United have been far more hit-and-miss. Back-to-back wins over Newcastle and Brighton should at least boost their confidence, but they continue to look shaky at the back – Palace hitting them for four, and Newcastle missing a hatful of chances in that five-goal thriller at Old Trafford.
The xG Score Prediction
Manchester City’s xG stats per game for the 2023/24 Premier League season sit at 2.36 xG for and 0.98 xG against. United’s respective numbers are 1.59 xG for and 1.96 xG against. Combining those figures suggests a scoreline of Manchester City 2.16 – 1.29. Of course, those numbers factor in games against all sides in the Premier League. We can expect Manchester United’s totals to be worse against the cream of the division, whilst City's numbers shouldn’t take too much of a hit against a United side who finished down in eighth.
Recommended Bets
Manchester United head to Wembley with the added incentive of a place in Europe – win and they qualify for the Europa League, lose and they miss out on Europe entirely, with the Europa Conference League place going to Newcastle United. However, that added motivation is unlikely to be enough facing a City side who are always up for the big occasion.
Whichever way you approach this game – head-to-head record, recent form, xG figures, or a simple look at the playing personnel of the two sides – Manchester City are a significantly better outfit than this current Manchester United side. Strange things can happen in a one-off FA Cup Final, but we will side with logic and take a punt on the following Bet Builder.
- Manchester City to score over 2 goals
- Manchester United to receive over 2 cards
- Manchester City to Have over 9 corners
- Phil Foden to score anytime
A £10 bet on the above Bet Builder returns £85 with LiveScoreBet.
Best 10 New Bookmakers
![]() |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
18+. New customers only. Min deposit £20. Max One £10 Free Bet. Min turnover £20. Qualifying Bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus token with Min 4/5 (1.80) odds req. T&Cs apply. |
||
![]() |
£20 | SIGN UP HERE |
New customers sign up with code "bet50get20". Deposit £50 or more and place a £50 bet at min odds 2.0. Get a £20 free bet. Free bets expire after 7 days. Full terms apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org |
||
![]() |
£25 | SIGN UP HERE |
18+ New Accounts Only. Min stake £10. Max Refund £100. refunds as Free bets. Win or or win part of E/W single bets only. Exclude multiple & ante post bets. Excludes multiple bets such as lucky 15s etc. Applies to cash stakes only. Free bets must be used in their entirety and to be credited within 24 hours. Full T&C's apply. |
||
![]() |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
New Players Only. Min £10 qualifying bets stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of £30, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. 18+, #ad and begambleaware Full Terms apply. |
||
![]() |
£25 | SIGN UP HERE |
18+ New UK customers. Bet £10 on accas with 4+ legs, min odds 3/1 (4.0). Get 4x £5 Free Bets and 50 Free Spins, valid for 7 days on selected bets and games only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org |
||
![]() |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
Add a bet to your betslip with the minimum stake of £10 and tick “promotion opt in” on the betslip before placing your bet. Once accepted we’ll credit you with a £10 free bet. Minimum odds on qualifying bet 1/1 (2.0). Your qualifying bet must be placed within 7 days after claiming the offer.Only deposits via debit cards will qualify. Ends 31/12/24 at 23:59 GMT. Full T&Cs Apply. |
||
![]() |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
||
![]() |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 ore more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 hours within of registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. Cashback is cash without restrictions. - Full Terms Apply |
||
![]() |
£100 | SIGN UP HERE |
New Customers only. Min odds of 2.0. You will receive a 150% deposit bonus if your qualifying bet on the first day is four times your deposit. Full Terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
||
![]() |
£50 | SIGN UP HERE |
Full T&Cs apply. New UK customers only. The qualifying bet should be either a Single or Acca (2+ selections) bet, start at £10, have 1.9 or greater odds and must be settled within 7 days of sign-up. 5 Free bets which must be placed with a min odds of 2 include: 1 x £10 Free bet on any Pre-match Football game (single); 1 x £10 Free Bet for Horse Racing (single); 1 x £10 Free Bet for Acca (min 2 selections) Bet on any sport; 1 x £10 Free Bet for Acca (min 3 selections) Bet on any sport; 1 x £10 Free Bet for Acca (min 4 selections) Bet on any sport. Max payout – £500. 7 day expiry. To unlock the offer, complete the first deposit via the banking app (Open banking). 18+. BeGambleAware.com |