Why Manchester United’s collapse took a long time to come

The eighth-placed Premier League side had a lot to play for in their FA Cup match on Saturday: a place in the Europa League, the opportunity to cement their manager’s position and, perhaps most of all, a bit of pride at stake – because this team is Manchester. United.

United, one of the world’s most vaunted and valuable franchises, has fallen on hard times, from their worst performance in the Premier League since 1990 to being supplanted by rival Manchester City. But after meeting in the FA Cup final for the second year in a row, United surprised their rival in unexpected fashion, scoring twice in the first half to beat City, 2-1, at Wembley Stadium.