2011 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 2011 FA Cup Final was the 130th final
of the FA Cup
, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium
in London
. The clubs contesting the 2011 final were Premier League clubs Manchester City
and Stoke City
, with the victors guaranteed a place in the 2011 Community Shield
. The 2011 final was the ninth in Manchester City's 131-year history
and Stoke City's first-ever FA Cup Final in 148 years of existence
.
Manchester City won the final 1–0, claiming their fifth FA Cup triumph, with midfielder Yaya Touré
scoring the only goal of the game, sixteen minutes before the end of normal time. The result gave Manchester City their first major trophy for 35 years, ending their longest trophy drought
in their history
.
. Following a supporter campaign, Manchester City dedicated the match to former striker Neil Young, who was terminally ill. Young scored the winning goal when Manchester City and Leicester City met in the 1969 FA Cup Final
. Manchester City fell behind after 46 seconds when Sol Bamba scored for Leicester following a corner. Manchester City took the lead by half-time through James Milner
and Carlos Tévez
, but Andy King
equalised midway through the second half to make the score 2–2. The tie was replayed at the City of Manchester Stadium
the following week. Tévez gave Manchester City the lead after quarter of an hour, but the lead was brief. Four minutes later, Paul Gallagher's penalty levelled the score, after Patrick Vieira
had fouled Lloyd Dyer
. Before half-time, two Manchester City goals in 90 seconds shifted the momentum of the match. In the second half, Tévez missed a penalty and a goal by Dyer made the score 3–2. Leicester then pushed for an equaliser, but instead Aleksandar Kolarov
scored on a counter-attack to make the final score 4–2.
For the fourth round Manchester City were drawn against League One
Notts County
at Meadow Lane
. On a pitch described by the BBC as "pudding-like", lower division County threatened an upset when Neal Bishop
scored from a corner in the 59th minute. However, ten minutes from time Micah Richards
crossed for Edin Džeko
to score his first Manchester City goal, ensuring a replay at Eastlands
. Notts County started the rematch brightly, but faded as the game progressed. The score was remained 0–0 for most of the first half, but Vieira scored either side of half-time to give Manchester City a two goal lead. From that point the match proved less even, and Manchester City scored three more goals for a 5–0 win From there on, City kept consecutive clean sheets on the way to winning the cup. Manchester City's fifth round match was against Aston Villa
at Eastlands. Villa manager Gerard Houllier
rested several senior players, in contrast to a near full-strength Manchester City line-up. Manchester City took the lead after less than five minutes through Yaya Touré
, and further goals from Mario Balotelli
and David Silva
resulted in a comfortable 3–0 win.
In the sixth round, Manchester City were again at home, and faced Reading
, the only non-Premier League team left in the competition. Micah Richards
scored the only goal, a header from a corner in the 73rd minute. At Wembley Stadium, City defeated rivals Manchester United
1–0 with a Yaya Touré goal, and continued their FA Cup semi-final record of nine victories out of 11, reaching the FA Cup Final for the first time since 1981
.
. Stoke City made seven changes to the team that played their previous match. Michael Chopra
gave Cardiff an early lead, but Stoke's Tuncay Şanlı
levelled the score just before half time. Stoke had a number of chances in the later stages of the match, but Cardiff held out for a replay. In the replay at the Cardiff City Stadium Stoke again used several reserves, changing all but one of the players from the previous league match. Few chances occurred during the game; the score was 0–0 after 90 minutes, prompting extra time. In the added period Jonathan Walters
scored twice to secure a 2–0 Stoke City win. The first goal was a header from a corner
, the second a near-post rebound. Stoke City then travelled to fellow Midland team Wolverhampton Wanderers
for the fourth round, in one of five all-Premier League ties. Stoke defender Robert Huth
was a central figure in the match. Ten minutes from time he gave Stoke a 1–0 lead with a header from a free-kick, but in the final minute he conceded a penalty for tripping Nenad Milijaš
. Milijaš took the spot-kick himself, but his effort was saved by Thomas Sørensen
.
Stoke's fifth round match was at home against League One
leaders Brighton & Hove Albion
. Three first half goals led Stoke to a 3–0 win. Stoke then faced West Ham United
in the sixth round. Stoke scored an early goal from a set-piece, when long throw
specialist Rory Delap
delivered the ball into the penalty area for Huth to score with a header. Controversial refereeing decisions then provoked the ire of both teams. When Frederic Piquionne
equalised for West Ham, the decision to award the goal infuriated Stoke; in controlling the ball Piquionne committed what Stoke manager Tony Pulis
called a "stonewall" handball. West Ham themselves felt aggrieved in the first minute of the second half when Stoke were awarded a penalty. Matthew Etherington
was adjudged to have been fouled by Scott Parker
though, as the BBC correspondent wrote, "there appeared to be minimal contact". Robert Green
saved Etherington's penalty to keep the score level. The winning goal also came from a set piece. Danny Higginbotham
's free-kick was reached by Green but could not be stopped, and Stoke won 2–1 to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1972. In the semi-final, Stoke beat Bolton Wanderers
comfortably, winning 5–0. Stoke took a three-goal lead in less than half an hour after goals from Etherington, Huth and Kenwyne Jones
. Walters scored twice in the second half to complete the win. The margin of victory was the biggest in an FA Cup semi-final since 1939, and secured Stoke's first ever FA Cup Final appearance. By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League
, with Manchester City having already confirmed a place in the Champions League via their league position.
was being hosted at Wembley on the 28 May 2011 and UEFA rules stipulate that the host stadium for the final must not have a fixture played two weeks prior to the final. Therefore, the FA Cup final had to be moved forward and played before the English football
domestic season ended. Tottenham Hotspur
manager Harry Redknapp
, who at the time was challenging Manchester City for fourth place and a place in the Champions League, criticised the schedule stating that if Manchester City won the final, it would have been in Stoke City's interest to lose against Manchester City in the following league match so that they would claim Europa League football. Ultimately however, Manchester City secured fourth place by beating Tottenham Hotspur days before the final and thus secured Champions League football before the FA Cup Final took place, rendering this a non-issue.
All Premier League fixtures are normally played at the same time on a Sunday in the penultimate and final round of fixtures to ensure no team gains an advantage; however, fixtures were spread out over the Saturday and Sunday with a 12:45 kick-off for the Saturday Premier League fixtures to avoid a direct clash. For the first time since 1989, the FA Cup final was held before the end of the league season. Wembley was scheduled to host the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final
28 May 2011, and UEFA rules stipulate that no fixture can take place in the host stadium in the two weeks preceding the Champions League final. Consequently, the FA Cup final had to be moved forward.
who expressed his disappointment and suggested an allocation in the region of 30,000 for both clubs.
Ticket prices for the FA Cup final exceeded £100 for the first time. The most expensive tickets cost £115, an increase of 22 per cent on the previous season with the cheapest tickets available at £45, up £5 from 2010.
-owned, Manchester
-based sports equipment company Umbro
. The Umbro Neo Pro features a 14-panel design, and is patterned in blue and red. The majority of the balls to be used in the game arrived on the previous Wednesday, while the ball to be used at kick-off was delivered to the stadium on the day of the game.
", was sung by Tenors Unlimited, a trio of male vocalists, and former X Factor
contestant Stacey Solomon
performed the national anthem, "God Save the Queen
".
Stoke City went into their first FA Cup Final as underdogs
according to their manager Tony Pulis
, while Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini
saw in-form Stoke's underdog tag as a risk for complacency. There were fitness doubts over key players for both teams, Carlos Tévez
for Manchester City and Matthew Etherington
for Stoke City, who suffered a hamstring tear only 17 days prior to the final, but both were able to start the match.
However, Stoke City's underdog tag proved true as Mancini's Manchester City side had the better of the match, with a 59% share of ball possession and 23 attempts on goal to Stoke City's nine, only one of which was on target. Tony Pulis
commented post-match that "Manchester City were the better team. They deserved to win the game" whilst Roberto Mancini dedicated the victory to the Manchester City supporters
.
and steady defending to keep Stoke City in the game in the first half. Yaya Touré
unleashed a 30-yard strike in the 11th minute which went only inches wide of the top corner of the goal, while Mario Balotelli had a curling shot from the corner of the penalty area in the 24th minute which was destined for the goal but for a strong, one-handed save from Sørensen.
Stoke improved after the break, but Manchester City had a key opportunity in the 56th minute when a counter-attack led by Carlos Tévez, who drifted out to the right flank, allowed David Silva to find space outside the Stoke City penalty area as the Stoke defence vanished. Tévez managed to pass to Silva, but Silva was guilty of over-elaboration instead of shooting first-time, and the Stoke City defence managed to regroup, dispossessing Silva before he could adjust himself to shoot at goal.
Only six minutes later, in the 62nd minute, Stoke had their key chance and only shot on target of the match with Kenwyne Jones
in the 61st minute. A looping ball over the top of the Manchester City defence by Matthew Etherington
allowed Jones a one-on-one, but he failed to convert, firing straight at goalkeeper Joe Hart
with the ball ricocheting off both striker and keeper before bobbling to safety. Doubts over Matthew Etherington's fitness resurfaced when he was taken off in the 63rd minute with Stoke City still in the game at 0–0 as it stood.
However, in the 74th minute, Sørensen was powerless to prevent Yaya Touré's effort from ten yards when he pounced on a stray ball in the penalty to thrash his thunderous shot with his left foot past Sørensen in front of the travelling thousands of Manchester City supporters. Stoke City attempted to get a goal back, resorting to direct long balls into the Manchester City penalty area but struggled to create any concrete chances. Despite Yaya Touré clinching the winning goal, enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli – who claimed he had a "shit" season in a post-match interview – was named man of the match for his efforts.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
STOKE CITY:
|
GK
29
Thomas Sørensen
RB
28
Andy Wilkinson
CB
17
Ryan Shawcross
(c)
CB
4
Robert Huth
LB
12
Marc Wilson
RM
16
Jermaine Pennant
CM
6
Glenn Whelan
CM
24
Rory Delap
LM
26
Matthew Etherington
CF
9
Kenwyne Jones
CF
19
Jonathan Walters
Substitutes:
GK
27
Carlo Nash
DF
5
Danny Collins
MF
14
Danny Pugh
MF
15
Salif Diao
MF
18
Dean Whitehead
FW
22
John Carew
DF
25
Abdoulaye Faye
Manager:
Tony Pulis
to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge meant he could not attend. Instead, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
David Cameron
, awarded the medals to individual players at Wembley Stadium. Presenting the trophy was British Army
Corporal Mark Ward, a life-long Manchester City supporter who served in Afghanistan
and whose bravery was rewarded with the Military Cross
. Corporal Ward presented the trophy to the winning captain, Carlos Tévez, after the game.
Manchester City's eventual 1–0 victory set up a Community Shield
match against rivals Manchester United
– who City had beaten in the semi-finals – after United clinched the Premier League shortly before kick-off in the Final. The FA Cup winners are usually awarded qualification for the UEFA Europa League, but because Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Champions League
via their league position, the Europa League place is passed to Stoke City as runners-up. In the 2011 FA Community Shield match in August, the FA Cup winners Manchester City lost 3-2 to Manchester United after creating a 2-0 lead at half time.
Manchester United winning the 2010–11 Premier League
title earlier in the day meant double pride for Mancunians as their teams claimed both of English football
's blue ribbon
competitions. Some football pundits debated whether the joint win – along with City's qualification for the Champions League – would mark the start of new era similar to the late 1960s when both City and United dominated English football; during that period, both clubs won the league championship once, with United winning the European Cup
and City winning the FA Cup, League Cup
and European Cup Winners' Cup
within four years. The '35 years' banner that had stood at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United which referenced to Manchester City's long trophy drought, was taken down in recognition City's victory.
Manchester City and Stoke City had been scheduled to play in a Premier League fixture on the day of the FA Cup Final, but instead the match had to be moved to the following Tuesday, making it the last mid-week game of the Premier League season, a match City won again, 3–0. Manchester City elected not to parade the trophy at the match as they did not wish to be seen as 'crass' in front of the visiting Stoke City supporters.
Instead, Manchester City were invited by Manchester City Council
to host an open-top bus parade through the City of Manchester in celebration of their victory. The parade took place on 23 May 2011 and began at 18:00 starting at Albert Square
outside Manchester Town Hall
where 10,000 people were present to see the team set off on the bus parade with various streets of the city centre closed by 12:00 in preparation for the parade. The open-top bus then travelled out of Manchester city centre
via Princess Street
, Portland Street
, Piccadilly Gardens
, Newton Street on onto Great Ancoats Street. The parade finally reached Ashton New Road where thousands supporters were waiting at the gates of the Eastlands stadium to welcome the team home. The parade culminated in a special reception at the City of Manchester Stadium
, where 40,000 who claimed free tickets for the event were waiting. Greater Manchester Police
estimated that the parade attracted a crowd in excess of 100,000.
and ESPN
, with ITV providing the free-to-air coverage and ESPN being the pay-TV alternative. Viewing figures across the two channels were recorded at a peak of 8.5 million viewers. ITV held the majority of the viewership, with a peak audience of 8.1 million during the last 30 minutes of the final and averaged at 6.68 million, their highest viewing figures for an FA Cup since the competition moved to ITV from the BBC in 2009. The pay-per-view alternative ESPN averaged 412,000 viewers throughout the day with a peak of 476,000.
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The clubs contesting the 2011 final were Premier League clubs Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, with the victors guaranteed a place in the 2011 Community Shield
2011 FA Community Shield
The 2011 FA Community Shield was the 89th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was the 160th Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City and played at Wembley Stadium,...
. The 2011 final was the ninth in Manchester City's 131-year history
History of Manchester City F.C.
The History of Manchester City F.C. spans 131 years from 1880 to 2011 from the club's inception by Anna Connell and William Beastow who founded the Manchester City of today as St. Marks who were based in Gorton, a district in east Manchester....
and Stoke City's first-ever FA Cup Final in 148 years of existence
History of Stoke City F.C.
It is claimed that the history of Stoke City F.C., an English association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, began when Stoke Ramblers were formed in 1863. However, as the Official Site states, "In 1863 the story goes that former pupils of the Charterhouse School formed a football club while...
.
Manchester City won the final 1–0, claiming their fifth FA Cup triumph, with midfielder Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
scoring the only goal of the game, sixteen minutes before the end of normal time. The result gave Manchester City their first major trophy for 35 years, ending their longest trophy drought
Drought (sport)
In sports, a drought refers to instances in which a team has gone a lengthy period of time without accomplishing some goal . Droughts occur for a variety of reasons, from chronic mismanagement to bad luck. Some fans believe that their team's drought is the result of a curse...
in their history
History of Manchester City F.C.
The History of Manchester City F.C. spans 131 years from 1880 to 2011 from the club's inception by Anna Connell and William Beastow who founded the Manchester City of today as St. Marks who were based in Gorton, a district in east Manchester....
.
Route to the final
| Manchester City | |Round | |Stoke City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... (FLC) A 2–2 |
Milner James Milner Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running... 23', Tévez Carlos Tévez Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City... 45' |
Round 3 | |Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... (FLC) H 1–1 |
Tuncay Tuncay Sanli Tuncay Şanlı , or simply Tuncay, is a Turkish footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg.His natural position is as a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing. Tuncay captains the Turkish national team... 45' |
||
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... (FLC) H 4–2 |
Tévez Carlos Tévez Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City... 15', Vieira Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... 37', Johnson 38', Kolarov Aleksandar Kolarov Aleksandar Kolarov is a professional association footballer playing for Premier League side Manchester City and the Serbian national team.... 90' |
Replays | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... (FLC) A 2–0 aet |
Walters Jonathan Walters Jonathan Ronald "Jon" Walters is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national football team.... 92', 115' |
||
| Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system... (FL1) A 1–1 |
Džeko Edin Džeko Edin Džeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnian national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010... 80' |
Round 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... (PL) A 1–0 |
Huth Robert Huth Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside... 81' |
||
| Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system... (FL1) H 5–0 |
Vieira Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... 37', 58', Tévez Carlos Tévez Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City... 84', Džeko Edin Džeko Edin Džeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnian national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010... 89', Richards Micah Richards Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield... 90+1' |
Replay | ||||
| Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... (PL) H 3–0 |
Y. Touré Yaya Touré Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side... 5', Balotelli Mario Balotelli Mario Balotelli is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for English team Manchester City and the Italian national team.He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently... 25', Silva David Silva David Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker... 70' |
Round 5 | |Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... (FL1) H 3–0 |
Carew John Carew John Alieu Carew , is a Norwegian professional association football player who plays for West Ham United and the Norwegian national team. His father is Gambian and his mother is Norwegian; he was born and raised in Norway.-Vålerenga:John Alieu Carew began his career with his local club Lørenskog,... 14', Walters Jonathan Walters Jonathan Ronald "Jon" Walters is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national football team.... 22', Shawcross Ryan Shawcross Ryan James Shawcross is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Stoke City.He previously was on the books of Manchester United, and had loan spells at Royal Antwerp and Stoke City respectively, before joining the latter permanently during January 2008. He was appointed as Stoke's captain... 43' |
||
| Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... (FLC) H 1–0 |
Richards Micah Richards Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield... 74' |
Round 6 | |West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... (PL) H 2–1 |
Huth Robert Huth Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside... 12', Higginbotham Danny Higginbotham Daniel John "Danny" Higginbotham is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Stoke City.Higginbotham started his career at his local side Manchester United he made seven appearances at Old Trafford as well as a loan spell with Belgium side Royal Antwerp before joining... 63' |
||
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... (PL) Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... 1–0 |
Y. Touré Yaya Touré Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side... 52' |
Semi-final | |Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... (PL) Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... 5–0 |
Etherington Matthew Etherington Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City.... 11', Huth Robert Huth Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside... 17', Jones Kenwyne Jones Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public.He began his football... 30', Walters Jonathan Walters Jonathan Ronald "Jon" Walters is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national football team.... 68', 81' |
||
- (PL) = Premier League team
- (FLC) = Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
team - (FL1) = Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
team - (FL2) = Football League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
team
Manchester City
As a Premier League team, Manchester City entered the competition in the third round. Their opening match was an away tie at Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. Following a supporter campaign, Manchester City dedicated the match to former striker Neil Young, who was terminally ill. Young scored the winning goal when Manchester City and Leicester City met in the 1969 FA Cup Final
1969 FA Cup Final
The 1969 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1968–69 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. The match was contested between Leicester City and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday 26 April 1969...
. Manchester City fell behind after 46 seconds when Sol Bamba scored for Leicester following a corner. Manchester City took the lead by half-time through James Milner
James Milner
Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running...
and Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
, but Andy King
Andy King (footballer born 1988)
Andrew Philip "Andy" King is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Championship club Leicester City as a midfielder.-Early career:Born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, King joined Chelsea when he was nine years old...
equalised midway through the second half to make the score 2–2. The tie was replayed at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
the following week. Tévez gave Manchester City the lead after quarter of an hour, but the lead was brief. Four minutes later, Paul Gallagher's penalty levelled the score, after Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
had fouled Lloyd Dyer
Lloyd Dyer
Lloyd Richard Dyer is an English footballer currently playing for Championship side Leicester City.-West Bromwich Albion:...
. Before half-time, two Manchester City goals in 90 seconds shifted the momentum of the match. In the second half, Tévez missed a penalty and a goal by Dyer made the score 3–2. Leicester then pushed for an equaliser, but instead Aleksandar Kolarov
Aleksandar Kolarov
Aleksandar Kolarov is a professional association footballer playing for Premier League side Manchester City and the Serbian national team....
scored on a counter-attack to make the final score 4–2.
For the fourth round Manchester City were drawn against League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
. On a pitch described by the BBC as "pudding-like", lower division County threatened an upset when Neal Bishop
Neal Bishop
Neal Robert Bishop is an English footballer who plays for Notts County as a midfielder.-Career:Born in Stockton-on-Tees, North East England, Bishop began his career with Middlesbrough in their youth system. After being released by Middlesbrough as a teenager he moved to Northern League side...
scored from a corner in the 59th minute. However, ten minutes from time Micah Richards
Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield...
crossed for Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnian national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010...
to score his first Manchester City goal, ensuring a replay at Eastlands
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. Notts County started the rematch brightly, but faded as the game progressed. The score was remained 0–0 for most of the first half, but Vieira scored either side of half-time to give Manchester City a two goal lead. From that point the match proved less even, and Manchester City scored three more goals for a 5–0 win From there on, City kept consecutive clean sheets on the way to winning the cup. Manchester City's fifth round match was against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at Eastlands. Villa manager Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
rested several senior players, in contrast to a near full-strength Manchester City line-up. Manchester City took the lead after less than five minutes through Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
, and further goals from Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for English team Manchester City and the Italian national team.He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently...
and David Silva
David Silva
David Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker...
resulted in a comfortable 3–0 win.
In the sixth round, Manchester City were again at home, and faced Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, the only non-Premier League team left in the competition. Micah Richards
Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield...
scored the only goal, a header from a corner in the 73rd minute. At Wembley Stadium, City defeated rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
1–0 with a Yaya Touré goal, and continued their FA Cup semi-final record of nine victories out of 11, reaching the FA Cup Final for the first time since 1981
1981 FA Cup Final
The 1981 FA Cup Final was contested by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley. The match finished 1–1 after extra time; Tommy Hutchison opened the scoring for City, and then scored an own-goal eleven minutes from time to bring Spurs level. In the replay, Spurs won 3–2, with...
.
Stoke City
Stoke are also a Premier League side and thus entered the competition at the third round stage, where they were drawn at home to Welsh side Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. Stoke City made seven changes to the team that played their previous match. Michael Chopra
Michael Chopra
Rocky Michael Chopra is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Ipswich Town. He is of mixed Indian and British descent....
gave Cardiff an early lead, but Stoke's Tuncay Şanlı
Tuncay Sanli
Tuncay Şanlı , or simply Tuncay, is a Turkish footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg.His natural position is as a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing. Tuncay captains the Turkish national team...
levelled the score just before half time. Stoke had a number of chances in the later stages of the match, but Cardiff held out for a replay. In the replay at the Cardiff City Stadium Stoke again used several reserves, changing all but one of the players from the previous league match. Few chances occurred during the game; the score was 0–0 after 90 minutes, prompting extra time. In the added period Jonathan Walters
Jonathan Walters
Jonathan Ronald "Jon" Walters is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national football team....
scored twice to secure a 2–0 Stoke City win. The first goal was a header from a corner
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
, the second a near-post rebound. Stoke City then travelled to fellow Midland team Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
for the fourth round, in one of five all-Premier League ties. Stoke defender Robert Huth
Robert Huth
Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside...
was a central figure in the match. Ten minutes from time he gave Stoke a 1–0 lead with a header from a free-kick, but in the final minute he conceded a penalty for tripping Nenad Milijaš
Nenad Milijaš
Nenad Milijaš is a Serbian international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
. Milijaš took the spot-kick himself, but his effort was saved by Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
.
Stoke's fifth round match was at home against League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
leaders Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
. Three first half goals led Stoke to a 3–0 win. Stoke then faced West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in the sixth round. Stoke scored an early goal from a set-piece, when long throw
Throw-in
A throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of Association football.-Procedure:The throw-in is taken from the point where the ball crossed the touch-line. The throw-in is taken by the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when it crossed the touch-line, either on the ground or...
specialist Rory Delap
Rory Delap
Rory John Delap is an English born Irish footballer who plays for Stoke City. He has played eleven times for the Republic of Ireland national football team....
delivered the ball into the penalty area for Huth to score with a header. Controversial refereeing decisions then provoked the ire of both teams. When Frederic Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...
equalised for West Ham, the decision to award the goal infuriated Stoke; in controlling the ball Piquionne committed what Stoke manager Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
called a "stonewall" handball. West Ham themselves felt aggrieved in the first minute of the second half when Stoke were awarded a penalty. Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City....
was adjudged to have been fouled by Scott Parker
Scott Parker
Scott Parker may refer to:*Scott Parker *Scott Parker *Scott Parker *Scott Parker *Scott "Jagged" Parker, one half of the professional wrestling tag team 2.0...
though, as the BBC correspondent wrote, "there appeared to be minimal contact". Robert Green
Robert Green
Robert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
saved Etherington's penalty to keep the score level. The winning goal also came from a set piece. Danny Higginbotham
Danny Higginbotham
Daniel John "Danny" Higginbotham is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Stoke City.Higginbotham started his career at his local side Manchester United he made seven appearances at Old Trafford as well as a loan spell with Belgium side Royal Antwerp before joining...
's free-kick was reached by Green but could not be stopped, and Stoke won 2–1 to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1972. In the semi-final, Stoke beat Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
comfortably, winning 5–0. Stoke took a three-goal lead in less than half an hour after goals from Etherington, Huth and Kenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public.He began his football...
. Walters scored twice in the second half to complete the win. The margin of victory was the biggest in an FA Cup semi-final since 1939, and secured Stoke's first ever FA Cup Final appearance. By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League
2011–12 UEFA Europa League
The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania...
, with Manchester City having already confirmed a place in the Champions League via their league position.
Scheduling
The 2011 final was overshadowed by scheduling problems and was the first time since 1934 that the final clashed with top flight League fixtures, which disappointed football traditionalists. The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final2011 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
was being hosted at Wembley on the 28 May 2011 and UEFA rules stipulate that the host stadium for the final must not have a fixture played two weeks prior to the final. Therefore, the FA Cup final had to be moved forward and played before the English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
domestic season ended. Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
manager Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
, who at the time was challenging Manchester City for fourth place and a place in the Champions League, criticised the schedule stating that if Manchester City won the final, it would have been in Stoke City's interest to lose against Manchester City in the following league match so that they would claim Europa League football. Ultimately however, Manchester City secured fourth place by beating Tottenham Hotspur days before the final and thus secured Champions League football before the FA Cup Final took place, rendering this a non-issue.
All Premier League fixtures are normally played at the same time on a Sunday in the penultimate and final round of fixtures to ensure no team gains an advantage; however, fixtures were spread out over the Saturday and Sunday with a 12:45 kick-off for the Saturday Premier League fixtures to avoid a direct clash. For the first time since 1989, the FA Cup final was held before the end of the league season. Wembley was scheduled to host the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final
2011 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
28 May 2011, and UEFA rules stipulate that no fixture can take place in the host stadium in the two weeks preceding the Champions League final. Consequently, the FA Cup final had to be moved forward.
Tickets
Both clubs received an allocation of approximately 25,000 tickets, fewer than the 32,000 received for the semi-finals. The allocation was enough for the 21,000 Stoke City season ticket holders, but not for Manchester City's 36,000 season ticket holders. Some fans felt aggrieved at the lack of tickets, including Stoke City chairman Peter CoatesPeter Coates
Peter Coates is a businessman and current owner of the Stoke City Football Club. He has been listed as the 25th richest person in British football. He founded Bet365 in 2000, as well as Signal Radio in 1983....
who expressed his disappointment and suggested an allocation in the region of 30,000 for both clubs.
Ticket prices for the FA Cup final exceeded £100 for the first time. The most expensive tickets cost £115, an increase of 22 per cent on the previous season with the cheapest tickets available at £45, up £5 from 2010.
Match ball
As for every match in the 2010–11 FA Cup, the ball for the final was provided by NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
-owned, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-based sports equipment company Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
. The Umbro Neo Pro features a 14-panel design, and is patterned in blue and red. The majority of the balls to be used in the game arrived on the previous Wednesday, while the ball to be used at kick-off was delivered to the stadium on the day of the game.
Opening ceremony
The traditional Cup Final hymn, "Abide with MeAbide With Me
The hymn tune most often used with this hymn is "Eventide" composed by William Henry Monk in 1861.Alternate tunes include:* "Abide with Me," Henry Lyte, 1847* "Morecambe", Frederick C...
", was sung by Tenors Unlimited, a trio of male vocalists, and former X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
contestant Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon is a British singer, television presenter, model and reality TV star. She rose to fame during her time on the sixth series of The X Factor, coming third overall on the show...
performed the national anthem, "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
".
Match
| Manchester City | Stoke City | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 0 |
| Total shots | 23 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 14 | 1 |
| Ball possession | 59% | 41% |
| Corner kicks | 8 | 2 |
| Fouls committed | 14 | 9 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Stoke City went into their first FA Cup Final as underdogs
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
according to their manager Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
, while Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa...
saw in-form Stoke's underdog tag as a risk for complacency. There were fitness doubts over key players for both teams, Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
for Manchester City and Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City....
for Stoke City, who suffered a hamstring tear only 17 days prior to the final, but both were able to start the match.
However, Stoke City's underdog tag proved true as Mancini's Manchester City side had the better of the match, with a 59% share of ball possession and 23 attempts on goal to Stoke City's nine, only one of which was on target. Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
commented post-match that "Manchester City were the better team. They deserved to win the game" whilst Roberto Mancini dedicated the victory to the Manchester City supporters
Manchester City F.C. supporters
Since their inception in 1880 as St. Mark's , Manchester City F.C have developed a loyal, passionate and dedicated fanbase.Despite finishing 5th in English football's top division, the club were the third best supported team in English football by average league attendance in the 2009–10 season and...
.
Report
Manchester City started sprightly, managing to create some chances which forced saves from Stoke goalkeeper Thomas SørensenThomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
and steady defending to keep Stoke City in the game in the first half. Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
unleashed a 30-yard strike in the 11th minute which went only inches wide of the top corner of the goal, while Mario Balotelli had a curling shot from the corner of the penalty area in the 24th minute which was destined for the goal but for a strong, one-handed save from Sørensen.
Stoke improved after the break, but Manchester City had a key opportunity in the 56th minute when a counter-attack led by Carlos Tévez, who drifted out to the right flank, allowed David Silva to find space outside the Stoke City penalty area as the Stoke defence vanished. Tévez managed to pass to Silva, but Silva was guilty of over-elaboration instead of shooting first-time, and the Stoke City defence managed to regroup, dispossessing Silva before he could adjust himself to shoot at goal.
Only six minutes later, in the 62nd minute, Stoke had their key chance and only shot on target of the match with Kenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public.He began his football...
in the 61st minute. A looping ball over the top of the Manchester City defence by Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City....
allowed Jones a one-on-one, but he failed to convert, firing straight at goalkeeper Joe Hart
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team....
with the ball ricocheting off both striker and keeper before bobbling to safety. Doubts over Matthew Etherington's fitness resurfaced when he was taken off in the 63rd minute with Stoke City still in the game at 0–0 as it stood.
However, in the 74th minute, Sørensen was powerless to prevent Yaya Touré's effort from ten yards when he pounced on a stray ball in the penalty to thrash his thunderous shot with his left foot past Sørensen in front of the travelling thousands of Manchester City supporters. Stoke City attempted to get a goal back, resorting to direct long balls into the Manchester City penalty area but struggled to create any concrete chances. Despite Yaya Touré clinching the winning goal, enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli – who claimed he had a "shit" season in a post-match interview – was named man of the match for his efforts.
Details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | MANCHESTER CITY: | |||
| GK | 25 | Joe Hart Joe Hart Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team.... |
||
| RB | 2 | Micah Richards Micah Richards Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield... |
||
| CB | 4 |  Vincent KompanyVincent Kompany Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany is a Belgian footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Belgium national team. He is capable of playing at both centre back and defensive midfielder. Kompany is of partial Congolese ancestry... |
||
| CB | 19 | Joleon Lescott Joleon Lescott Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back.... |
||
| LB | 13 |  Aleksandar KolarovAleksandar Kolarov Aleksandar Kolarov is a professional association footballer playing for Premier League side Manchester City and the Serbian national team.... |
||
| DM | 34 |  Nigel de JongNigel de Jong Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team.... |
||
| DM | 18 | Gareth Barry Gareth Barry Gareth Barry is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national football team.Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa, and, at the end of his career with the club, lay eighth in... |
||
| AM | 42 |  Yaya TouréYaya Touré Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side... |
||
| RW | 21 |  David SilvaDavid Silva David Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker... |
||
| LW | 45 |  Mario BalotelliMario Balotelli Mario Balotelli is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for English team Manchester City and the Italian national team.He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently... |
||
| CF | 32 |  Carlos TévezCarlos Tévez Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City... (c) |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Shay Given Shay Given Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002.... |
||
| DF | 5 | Pablo Zabaleta Pablo Zabaleta Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod is an Argentine footballer who plays for Manchester City.Zabaleta can operate on both sides of the pitch either as a defender or defensive midfielder, but is predominantly a right sided player. Zabaleta also holds a Spanish passport... |
||
| MF | 7 | James Milner James Milner Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running... |
||
| FW | 10 |  Edin DžekoEdin Džeko Edin Džeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnian national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010... |
||
| MF | 11 | Adam Johnson |
||
| MF | 24 |  Patrick VieiraPatrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... |
||
| DF | 38 | Dedryck Boyata Dedryck Boyata Anga Dedryck Boyata , is a Belgian footballer of Congolese descent who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Manchester City, as a centre back or right back.-Early Career:... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Roberto Mancini Roberto Mancini Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa... |
||||
Thomas SørensenThomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
Andy WilkinsonAndy Wilkinson
Andrew Gordon "Andy" Wilkinson is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Stoke City.Wilkinson joined Stoke City's academy from his local club Stone Dominoes and made his professional debut in October 2001...
Ryan ShawcrossRyan Shawcross
Ryan James Shawcross is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Stoke City.He previously was on the books of Manchester United, and had loan spells at Royal Antwerp and Stoke City respectively, before joining the latter permanently during January 2008. He was appointed as Stoke's captain...
(c)
Robert HuthRobert Huth
Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside...
Marc Wilson Jermaine PennantJermaine Pennant
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is a footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999...
Glenn WhelanGlenn Whelan
Glenn David Whelan is an Irish footballer who plays as a centre midfielder from Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national team....
Rory DelapRory Delap
Rory John Delap is an English born Irish footballer who plays for Stoke City. He has played eleven times for the Republic of Ireland national football team....
Matthew EtheringtonMatthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City....
Kenwyne JonesKenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public.He began his football...
Jonathan WaltersJonathan Walters
Jonathan Ronald "Jon" Walters is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national football team....
Carlo NashCarlo Nash
Carlo James Nash is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a goalkeeper.Nash started his career at non-League Rossendale United and Clitheroe before being signed by Crystal Palace and then moved back north to Stockport County...
Danny CollinsDanny Collins
Daniel Lewis "Danny" Collins is a Welsh footballer currently playing for Ipswich Town on loan from Stoke City. Collins also plays for the Wales national football team as a defender....
Danny PughDanny Pugh
Daniel Adam "Danny" Pugh is an English footballer who currently plays as a midfielder or defender for Leeds United on loan from Premier League side Stoke City.- Manchester United :Pugh came through the youth ranks at Manchester United...
Salif DiaoSalif Diao
Salif Alassane Diao is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Stoke City....
Dean WhiteheadDean Whitehead
Dean Whitehead is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Stoke City.Whitehead joined his local non-league club Abingdon Town before he signed for Football League side Oxford United in 1999. He impressed in the lower divisions and was signed by Championship side...
John CarewJohn Carew
John Alieu Carew , is a Norwegian professional association football player who plays for West Ham United and the Norwegian national team. His father is Gambian and his mother is Norwegian; he was born and raised in Norway.-Vålerenga:John Alieu Carew began his career with his local club Lørenskog,...
Abdoulaye FayeAbdoulaye Diagne-Faye
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye , more commonly known as Abdoulaye Faye, is a Senegalese footballer who plays for Championship club West Ham United...
Tony PulisTony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
MAN OF THE MATCH
MATCH OFFICIALS
|
MATCH RULES
|
Post-match
As President of the FA since 2006, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is a frequent guest of honour at the FA Cup final, attending the 2007 and 2010 finals, but his recent marriageWedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge meant he could not attend. Instead, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, awarded the medals to individual players at Wembley Stadium. Presenting the trophy was British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Corporal Mark Ward, a life-long Manchester City supporter who served in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and whose bravery was rewarded with the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. Corporal Ward presented the trophy to the winning captain, Carlos Tévez, after the game.
Manchester City's eventual 1–0 victory set up a Community Shield
2011 FA Community Shield
The 2011 FA Community Shield was the 89th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was the 160th Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City and played at Wembley Stadium,...
match against rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
– who City had beaten in the semi-finals – after United clinched the Premier League shortly before kick-off in the Final. The FA Cup winners are usually awarded qualification for the UEFA Europa League, but because Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
via their league position, the Europa League place is passed to Stoke City as runners-up. In the 2011 FA Community Shield match in August, the FA Cup winners Manchester City lost 3-2 to Manchester United after creating a 2-0 lead at half time.
Manchester United winning the 2010–11 Premier League
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
title earlier in the day meant double pride for Mancunians as their teams claimed both of English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
's blue ribbon
Blue ribbon
The blue ribbon is a term used to describe or symbolize something of high quality. The usage came from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners—and prior to that from Cordon Bleu which referred to the blue ribbon worn by a particular order...
competitions. Some football pundits debated whether the joint win – along with City's qualification for the Champions League – would mark the start of new era similar to the late 1960s when both City and United dominated English football; during that period, both clubs won the league championship once, with United winning the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and City winning the FA Cup, League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
within four years. The '35 years' banner that had stood at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United which referenced to Manchester City's long trophy drought, was taken down in recognition City's victory.
Manchester City and Stoke City had been scheduled to play in a Premier League fixture on the day of the FA Cup Final, but instead the match had to be moved to the following Tuesday, making it the last mid-week game of the Premier League season, a match City won again, 3–0. Manchester City elected not to parade the trophy at the match as they did not wish to be seen as 'crass' in front of the visiting Stoke City supporters.
Instead, Manchester City were invited by Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
to host an open-top bus parade through the City of Manchester in celebration of their victory. The parade took place on 23 May 2011 and began at 18:00 starting at Albert Square
Albert Square, Manchester
Albert Square is a public square in the centre of Manchester, England.It is dominated by its largest building, Manchester Town Hall , a Victorian Gothic building by Alfred Waterhouse...
outside Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....
where 10,000 people were present to see the team set off on the bus parade with various streets of the city centre closed by 12:00 in preparation for the parade. The open-top bus then travelled out of Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
via Princess Street
Princess Street, Manchester
Princess Street is one of the main streets in Manchester City Centre, Greater Manchester, England. It begins at Cross Street and runs approximately eastwards across Mosley Street, Portland Street and Whitworth Street until the point where it continues as Brook Street and eventually joins the...
, Portland Street
Portland Street, Manchester
Portland Street is a street which runs through Manchester city centre. The street runs from the junction at Oxford Road to Piccadilly Gardens....
, Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester city centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street and on the edge of the Northern Quarter...
, Newton Street on onto Great Ancoats Street. The parade finally reached Ashton New Road where thousands supporters were waiting at the gates of the Eastlands stadium to welcome the team home. The parade culminated in a special reception at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
, where 40,000 who claimed free tickets for the event were waiting. Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
estimated that the parade attracted a crowd in excess of 100,000.
Reaction
The 2011 FA Cup Final was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by both ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and ESPN
ESPN (UK)
ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...
, with ITV providing the free-to-air coverage and ESPN being the pay-TV alternative. Viewing figures across the two channels were recorded at a peak of 8.5 million viewers. ITV held the majority of the viewership, with a peak audience of 8.1 million during the last 30 minutes of the final and averaged at 6.68 million, their highest viewing figures for an FA Cup since the competition moved to ITV from the BBC in 2009. The pay-per-view alternative ESPN averaged 412,000 viewers throughout the day with a peak of 476,000.
External links
- Manchester City 1 vs Stoke City 0 - Match report on the 2011 FA Cup Final - BBC Sport
- - The 2011 FA Cup final: Manchester City v Stoke City – as it happened - The Guardian