2011 FA Cup Final: Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City

The footage

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2011

The match report

Manchester City won the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday 14 May 2011, beating Stoke City 1-0 in the 130th final of the competition. It was the club's fifth FA Cup, a first FA Cup since 1969, and the first major trophy of any kind in 35 years, since the League Cup of 1976. For Stoke it was a first final in the club's history, their previous best having been three lost semi-finals.[1][6]

The first half was one-way traffic without a goal. Thomas Sorensen saved from Carlos Tevez inside five minutes, Ryan Shawcross came within inches of turning an Aleksandar Kolarov cross into his own net, and Yaya Toure drove just wide from distance on 11 minutes. On 24 minutes Sorensen made the save of the match, a one-handed fingertip stop from Mario Balotelli's curler, and ten minutes before the interval David Silva blazed over with the goal gaping. Robert Huth was booked for a lunge on Micah Richards; an earlier elbow from Huth on Balotelli went unseen by the officials.[4][1][5]

Stoke's only shot on target in the entire match arrived just after the hour, when Kenwyne Jones was played through one on one and Joe Hart stood up to save. Matthew Etherington, a fitness doubt before kick-off, was withdrawn soon afterwards, and Roberto Mancini sent on Adam Johnson for Gareth Barry on 73 minutes.[1][4]

The goal came a minute later. Silva played Balotelli into the area, his shot was blocked, and the loose ball fell to Toure, who caught it clean with his left foot and drove it past Sorensen from about ten yards. The BBC called it a thunderous finish and gave Sorensen no chance; the Guardian's verdict was that no keeper could have stopped it. Toure had also scored the only goal of the semi-final against Manchester United, at the same end of the same ground.[1][4]

When exactly the goal came is less settled than it should be. The BBC's match report, the Guardian's minute-by-minute and the standard reference work all record it on 74 minutes, and we publish 74. Manchester City's own website, describing the same goal on its own highlights page, calls it a 76th-minute winner. A club's archive disagreeing with every contemporary account of its own most important modern goal is worth more than a silent correction, so both figures stay on this page.[9][1][4]

City had already secured a Champions League place four days before the final, which meant the Europa League place that comes with the cup passed to the runners-up: Stoke knew before kick-off that they would play in Europe whatever happened. Tony Pulis said afterwards that Manchester City were the better team and deserved to win, and his regret was that his own side had not reached their level. Balotelli was named man of the match, a decision the Telegraph's reporter felt did an injustice to Sorensen.[6][2][5]

It was a day for Manchester. Hours before kick-off Manchester United had clinched a 19th league title, and the banner at Old Trafford that had spent years counting the length of City's trophy drought was taken down within days of the final. The trophy was presented to Tevez by a City-supporting soldier, Corporal Mark Ward, and on 23 May the club paraded it through Manchester in front of a crowd the police estimated at over 100,000. The rearranged league meeting between the finalists, played the Tuesday after the final, finished 3-0 to City.[6][4]

The official attendance was 88,643, and Martin Atkinson of West Yorkshire refereed. No governing-body document we could reach prints the crowd figure; it comes from the standard reference works. The same is true of the match statistics, where the standard reference work's own table credits Stoke with seven shots on target while its match report, the BBC and ESPN all record one.[6][7][8][1]

How the match unfolded

1. 5'Carlos Tevez, passed fit to start, has the first attempt of the final and Thomas Sorensen saves.[4]
2. 10'Ryan Shawcross, under pressure from Mario Balotelli, comes within inches of turning an Aleksandar Kolarov cross into his own net.[4]
3. 11'Yaya Toure tries a rising drive from distance that passes just wide of Sorensen's post.[4]
4. 24'Sorensen makes the save of the half, a one-handed fingertip stop to turn Balotelli's curling shot away.[4][1]
5. 35'David Silva blazes over with the goal gaping after Balotelli's cross drops to him eight yards out. The BBC times this chance at the 34th minute.[4][1]
6. 40'Robert Huth is booked for a lunge on Micah Richards. Earlier, an elbow from Huth on Balotelli went unseen by the officials.[4][5]
7. 45'Half-time. No score, but City have made every chance of note.[1][4]
8. 62'Stoke's only shot on target all afternoon. Kenwyne Jones is played through one on one and Joe Hart stands up to save.[1][4]
9. 62'Matthew Etherington, a fitness doubt before the match, is withdrawn for Dean Whitehead. The Guardian's clock says the 63rd minute.[4][8][6]
10. 73'Roberto Mancini sends on Adam Johnson for Gareth Barry.[4][8]
11. 74'Goal. Silva plays Balotelli into the area, his shot is blocked, and the loose ball falls to Yaya Toure, who drives it left-footed past Sorensen. 1-0.[1][4][6]
12. 76'Andy Wilkinson is booked for a high challenge on Balotelli.[4]
13. 81'John Carew replaces Rory Delap as Tony Pulis looks for an equaliser. The Guardian's clock says the 80th minute.[6][4]
14. 85'Danny Pugh comes on for Glenn Whelan, Stoke's third and last change.[4][8]
15. 88'Pablo Zabaleta replaces Tevez, who leaves to a standing ovation.[4][8]
16. 90'Patrick Vieira comes on for Silva in added time. Shawcross heads Stoke's last opening wide before Atkinson ends the match.[4][8]

Match facts

Date

Saturday 14 May 2011

Venue

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance

88,643The figure carried by the standard reference work and by the FA Cup Finals database. No governing-body document we could reach prints an attendance for this final.[6][7]

Referee

Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire)[1][6]

Scorers

Yaya Toure 74'[1][4][6]

Half-time

0-0

Competition

2010-11 FA Cup

Where they played

Both sides as they lined up. Choose any player to read what they did in this final.

Select a shirt for that player's note.

Route to the final

Line-ups

Trivia and detail

• Mario Balotelli was named man of the match despite not scoring. The Telegraph's match reporter argued the award did an injustice to Thomas Sorensen, whom he rated the game's outstanding player.[5][6]
• Carlos Tevez had been an injury doubt with a hamstring problem and only returned to training in the week of the final. He started as captain and lifted the trophy.[6][4]
• The trophy was presented to Tevez by Corporal Mark Ward, a City-supporting soldier awarded the Military Cross, and the medals were presented by the Prime Minister, David Cameron.[6]
• Stoke reached the final by beating Bolton Wanderers 5-0 at Wembley, the biggest win in an FA Cup semi-final since 1939. It was their first semi-final since 1972.[6]
• City needed replays in each of the first two rounds, against Leicester City and Notts County, and scored nine goals across the two second meetings.[6]
• Manchester United clinched a record 19th league title a few hours before kick-off, and the Old Trafford banner that had been counting the years since City's last trophy was removed within days of the final.[4][6]
• The final was played while the league season was still running, the first FA Cup final since 1989 to come before the end of the domestic programme, because Wembley had to be kept clear for the Champions League final a fortnight later. City's home league game against Stoke was moved to the following Tuesday and City won that too, 3-0.[6]
• Assistant manager David Platt said afterwards that for the dressing room they had to win something, and described the winner as Yaya Toure finishing it off again, a reference to his semi-final winner against Manchester United.[3]

How well do you know the 2011 final?

Five questions. Every answer is sourced from the material on this page.

1. Who scored the winning goal in the 2011 FA Cup final?

   Yaya ToureMario BalotelliCarlos TevezDavid Silva
   Answer

   Yaya Toure. Balotelli's shot was blocked and the loose ball fell to Toure, who drove it left-footed past Sorensen on 74 minutes. He had also scored the semi-final winner.[1][4]

2. Stoke managed only one shot on target in the final. Which player forced Joe Hart's save?

   Kenwyne JonesJonathan WaltersRory DelapJohn Carew
   Answer

   Kenwyne Jones. Jones was played through one on one just after the hour and Hart stood up to save it. It was Stoke's only shot on target all afternoon.[1][4]

3. Who was named man of the match?

   Mario BalotelliYaya ToureThomas SorensenJoe Hart
   Answer

   Mario Balotelli. Balotelli took the award despite not scoring. The Telegraph's reporter thought it did an injustice to Sorensen, Stoke's goalkeeper.[5][6]

4. How long had Manchester City waited for a major trophy before this win?

   35 years25 years42 years19 years
   Answer

   35 years. Their previous major trophy was the 1976 League Cup, and their previous FA Cup the 1969 win. The 35-year wait was the one counted on the banner at Old Trafford.[1][6]

5. By what score did Stoke City win their semi-final against Bolton Wanderers?

   5-02-13-01-0
   Answer

   5-0. Stoke won 5-0 at Wembley, the biggest FA Cup semi-final win since 1939, to reach their first final.[6]

What is not settled

Honesty matters more than tidiness. These details are contested or unrecorded, and we have not guessed at them:

• The minute of the winning goal is contested by the winners themselves. The BBC, the Guardian and the standard reference work all say 74. Manchester City's own highlights page says 76. We publish 74 and keep the club's figure on the page.
• Matthew Etherington's substitution is timed at 62 minutes by the standard line-up record, the BBC and ESPN, and at 63 by the Guardian's minute-by-minute. We publish 62.
• Rory Delap's substitution is timed at 81 minutes by the standard record and at 80 by the Guardian and ESPN. We publish 81.
• David Silva's first-half miss is timed at 35 minutes by the Guardian and 34 by the BBC. We publish 35.
• The match statistics disagree between sources. The standard reference work's table credits Stoke with seven shots on target; its own match report, the BBC and ESPN record one. We treat one as correct.
• Attendance is the weakest field on this page. No governing-body or club document we could reach prints a figure. 88,643 appears in the standard reference work and in the FA Cup Finals database, which is why it carries two citations rather than an official one.
• No footage has been verified for this final yet, so the television shows no signal rather than an unchecked embed.

How we know

Every claim on this page is tied to a numbered source below. These are the contemporary records behind it, each one fetched and matched word for word before publication rather than taken on trust:

• BBC Sport match report by Phil McNulty, 14 May 2011 · BBC Sport
• BBC Sport post-match reaction, 14 May 2011 · BBC Sport
• BBC Sport post-match reaction, 14 May 2011 · BBC Sport
• Guardian minute-by-minute report, 14 May 2011 · The Guardian
• Telegraph match report by Duncan White, 14 May 2011 · The Telegraph

Where a primary record and a modern account disagree, we show both rather than choosing the tidier number.

Sources

1. Man City 1-0 Stoke · BBC Sport
2. Stoke boss Tony Pulis proud despite FA Cup defeat · BBC Sport
3. Roberto Mancini dedicates FA Cup win to Man City fans · BBC Sport
4. The 2011 FA Cup final: Manchester City v Stoke City - as it happened · The Guardian
5. FA Cup final: Manchester City 1 Stoke City 0 - match report · The Telegraph
6. 2011 FA Cup final · Wikipedia
7. 2011 FA Cup Final: Manchester City vs Stoke City · FA Cup Finals (fa-cupfinals.co.uk)
8. Manchester City v Stoke City, FA Cup final match page · ESPN
9. City 1-0 Stoke City: 2011 FA Cup final highlights · Manchester City FC

Elsewhere in the encyclopedia

Other finals involving these clubs

• 2013 Manchester City: Wigan Athletic 1-0 Manchester City
• 2019 Manchester City: Manchester City 6-0 Watford
• 2023 Manchester City: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United
• 2024 Manchester City: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United
• 2025 Manchester City: Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester City
• 2026 Manchester City: Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea

Other finals at Wembley Stadium

• 2008 Cardiff City 1-0 Portsmouth
• 2009 Chelsea 2-1 Everton
• 2010 Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth
• 2012 Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
• 2013 Wigan Athletic 1-0 Manchester City
• 2014 Arsenal 3-2 Hull City

Elsewhere on WhatChan