Football Association and Met Police set for talks over Manchester City and Manchester United FA Cup final scheduling

The Football Association are set to hold talks with the Met Police over the course of the coming days over the scheduling of the 2023 Emirates FA Cup final.

Manchester City and Manchester United are set to meet in a cup final for the first time ever, after both respectively reaching the final stage of this season’s competition over the course of the weekend.

Pep Guardiola’s players cruised to victory against Championship promotion candidates Sheffield United on Saturday evening, with a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick inspiring the side to a 3-0 win prior to their bitter rivals’ contest.

Manchester United would endure a much more complex route to the final, as they were held to a scoreless affair against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday evening, progressing through to the June 3 final via a penalty shoot-out.

However, before fans can finalise their own arrangements despite the date of the final being confirmed, relevant governing bodies are due to hold talks this week to decide on a kick-off time for the event.

According to a new report from The Athletic, the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United is set for an ‘earlier’ kick-off time, with the Football Association and the Met Police due to ‘hold talks’ this week.

Due to the game being deemed a ‘high-risk fixture’, as well as a ‘logistical headache’, it is reported that conversations around the kick-off time of the showpiece Wembley final are now set to commence.

The understanding from the part of The Athletic is that the FA are keen for the final to start no later than 4:45pm in order to help travelling fans from the north-west.

The 2023 FA Cup final could be sandwiched in a historic week for Manchester City, should their pursuit of an impressive treble this season go right down to the very end of the season.

City travel to Brentford on the final day of the Premier League season one week prior to the FA Cup final, while a possible Champions League final date in Istanbul against either Inter Milan or AC Milan remains a real possibility the following weekend.

Manchester City host Arsenal in their next Premier League encounter on Wednesday night, in a contest that is expected to have huge ramifications on the direction of this season’s top-flight title.