Wigan Athletic players holding aloft the coveted FA Cup trophy. Photo: Inmediahk
Wigan Athletic beat Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday in what was one of the most memorable finals ever. It was the greatest upset seen at London’s famous Wembley Stadium since 1988.
The opening period saw an even number of opportunities created by both teams. However, Manchester City’s slick passing and movement saw them dominate Wigan for the first 10 minutes of the game.
Wigan’s positive endeavour saw City starting to take on a more cautious approach that forced them to drop deeper than what they’re usually accustomed to. Both sides continued to be adventurous in attack in what was a very entertaining first half of open and flowing football.
The second half picked up where the first left off with Wigan not shying away from countering Manchester City’s flair by venturing forward with a confidence that was not easy to brake.
Wigan’s relentless pressure eventually saw Callum McManaman being halted by a crude challenge from City’s Pablo Zabaleta which earned him a second yellow card, bringing his side down to 10 men with 6 minutes to go.
Wigan Athletic were now dictating possession and with 3 minutes of injury time to play, earned themselves a corner. McManaman’s cross was met with a fantastic header from substitute Ben Watson giving their team victory and their supporters a cause for celebration.
Twitter was alight with accolades and well wishes from football fans with an estimated 500 million people watching from all around the globe.
Wigan Athletic 1 (Ben Watson 90+1′)
Manchester City 0
Man of the match: Callum McManaman
Crowd: 86,254
