Kobbie Mainoo has admitted Manchester United’s players didn’t want to get “carried away” after storming into a 2-0 lead in Saturday’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City at Wembley.
United were two goals to the good at half-time after strikes from Alejandro Garnacho and Mainoo. Garnacho pounced on a City defensive blunder for the opener before Mainoo finished off an excellent team move nine minutes later.
United were full value for their half-time lead, with City failing to apply themselves in the same way they had done in their recent quest for a fourth successive Premier League title. The Reds packed the midfield and limited City to very few sightings of goalkeeper Andre Onana’s goal.
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Despite being firmly in charge at the interval, United would have anticipated facing a City onslaught after the restart, resulting in them needing to maintain their focus. And that was the message inside the dressing room.
Asked what the key was to their second-half display, Mainoo told ITV Sport: “Just not getting carried away with ourselves. We have to be humble and respect them.
“They can do a lot of danger to us, especially coming out into the second half, so we just had to keep our heads and keep together.”
Mainoo, who made his full Premier League debut as recently as November, notched United’s second goal just a few minutes before the half-time break. United through and through, it marked an occasion he will never forget, even though he couldn’t remember much of it immediately after the full-time whistle.
He continued: “To be honest, it was such an amazing moment I can’t even remember it! I remember making a run and sliding it into the corner – that’s about it.
“The quality he has [Bruno Fernandes], he sees things no one else can. I tried to shout him and didn’t know if he could hear me, but he just found me in the right spot and I was able to finish it.”
On winning the FA Cup, Mainoo added: “It has been a tough season and luckily we have had the fans behind us the whole way. In a game like this we have to come together. It has been our light at the end of the tunnel, so we had to come together.
“The FA Cup is such a historic trophy and to have done it in this game, in a derby, there is nothing sweeter.”
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