Zimpapers Logo

Wembly. — Southampton had the better team, Manchester United the better player. The player, in fact. Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The one, the only. This was his cup, as much as theirs. It was a great game and Southampton had the best of it. Yet they were never in front and there was always the danger it would end in tears. Why? That man. There was never a significant period of the game in which United dominated, but nor was there a moment when Ibrahimovic did not look capable of being the deciding factor. What a player he is. For all his achievements across Europe, it has taken this, a season in the twilight of his career, to convince the sceptics here of h

And he is great, make no mistake of that. The goal that won this hugely enjoyable final was great, and Ibrahimovic started and finished it. He is a target man in the truest sense of the term, always showing, always available, always offering the out ball.

That is what he did as Manchester United broke. He took the ball, knocked it some way ahead to gain distance, but knew he couldn’t win the foot race. So he laid it off. Did Ibrahimovic then sprint into the box? No, he’s too smart for that.

He watched United’s build the pressure. Anthony Martial held onto the ball and made progress, gamely. He laid it out to Ander Herrera. Now Ibrahmovic was interested. He had begun his run into the box moments earlier, timing the arrival to perfection to meet a cross with a header that left goalkeeper Fraser Forster no chance.

Did United deserve it? Probably not. Did Ibrahimovic deserve it? Undoubtedly, yes. He won the man of the match ahead of many more deserving cases from Southampton because, quite simply, that is what he was. The man of this match – Jose Mourinho’s 11th cup win in 13 finals.

Mourinho said all along that his striker would be a giant success in English football. He knew what he was getting all along. Anyone who didn’t does know. This was so tough on Southampton, but equally tough to begrudge the matchwinner his moment. What a player he is.

It is to Southampton’s great credit that considering the trio of setbacks they endured in the first-half, they still went in just a single goal behind and with claims to have been the better side.

Southampton had the best of the play, but trailed as a result of two moments of sublime individual finishing from Manchester United men. In addition, Southampton had a good goal disallowed by referee Andre Marriner, which would have opened the scoring. It was a bad break they could ill-afford against a team as well-equipped as Manchester United; on such a grand stage it must have been doubly hard to take. Many teams would have crumbled, but Southampton stayed strong.

Credit coach Claude Puel, too, for taking the game to United from the start. There were just two minutes on the clock when Dusan Tadic whipped the ball across the face of goal, unfortunate not to find a team-mate to administer the vital touch. A similar move, getting in behind United, but this time from the opposite flank should have given Southampton the lead after 11 minutes. — Dailymail.