NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Manchester United survived a major scare to beat championship side Coventry City in the aftermath after squandering a three-goal lead in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes gave Erik ten Hag’s side complete control, but United’s upheavals were once again laid bare as Coventry staged a response.
Ellis Simms reduced the deficit and 1987 FA Cup winners Coventry scored through Callum O’Hare to set up a tense final ten minutes.
The Sky Blues side’s momentum stunned Manchester United with a last-minute goal, with Haji Wright converting a delayed penalty to take the semi-final to extra time.
Both teams had chances in extra time and Coventry thought they had secured a belated winning goal through Victor Torp, but their goal was disallowed by VAR for an incredibly tight offside in pre-season.
United looked stunned by Coventry’s comeback but kept their cool in the penalty shootout and will now face local rivals City in a repeat of the 2023 final.
Even in the penalty shootout, Coventry found themselves on the breaking point of the FA Cup final after Casemiro’s tamed effort saved, but Callum O’Hare’s effort saved well, and then Ben Sheaf fired home before Rasmus Hojlund scored to send United.
Mark Robins’ Sky Blues enjoyed a run in the FA Cup (scoring a 100th-minute winning goal to beat Wolves in the quarter-finals) and produced more epic scenes at Wembley after being outplayed for an hour.
Coventry beat United when they were on the verge of winning the FA Cup in 1987, however, the Old Trafford club have avoided an embarrassing defeat this time around as they set their sights on a 13th FA Cup trophy.
Ten Hag has been under scrutiny in recent weeks — his United side are ranked seventh in the Premier League and may miss out on European football — but winning the FA Cup would at least ensure a positive end to the campaign.
Following in the footsteps of Manchester United is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who beat Chelsea 1-0 in the first semi-final as they tried to win a domestic double.
Unsurprisingly, United dominated the early stages, with Alejandro Garnacho missing his side’s first chance in five minutes before Marcus Rashford broke away after catching an accurate ball from makeshift centre-back Casemiro.
McTominay gave United a deserved lead midway through the first half, after Diogo Dalot’s enticing cross went to the Coventry defence and goalkeeper.
Coventry, eighth in the league, created their most productive chance of the first half through Josh Eccles, who burst into the box before a tempting cross was superbly intercepted by Dalot before Simms could score.
England defender Maguire dealt a heavy blow to Coventry’s dreams of a second FA Cup final just before half-time, with a header that beat Bradley Collins after the Sky Blues goalkeeper deflected Rashford’s effort.
Fernandes made an attempt shortly after the break and gave the impression of ending the game on the hour mark, taking advantage of a defensive error to score United’s third through a deflection.
Maguire almost scored a moment with a close-range shot before O’Hare sent a diving header with a rare Coventry shot.
Almost out of nowhere, Robins got a goal back with 20 minutes remaining, with Simms turning to convert a cross from Fabio Tavares and give hope to the Coventry fans, who were audible throughout.
Coventry got back into the game 8 minutes later thanks to O’Hare’s shot that deflected off the back of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and finished over a helpless Andre Onana.
Wan-Bissaka, inadvertently, also played a part in Coventry’s shock equaliser, conceding a handball penalty in the 95th minute that calmly passed through Wright.
Manchester United came within inches of regaining their lead at the start of stoppage time, with Fernandes hitting the bottom of the crossbar with a shot that sent Collins home.
The intensity naturally subsided as a long game and season began to take their toll, but both groups still created chances, with Sheaf shooting wide and youngster Omari Forson forcing a save from Collins.
The Coventry goalkeeper had to keep out Maguire’s shot, but the losers twice came close to winning, first when Wright missed a great shot and then when Simms hit the bottom of the crossbar.
Even in the closing seconds, this game continued to provide drama and Coventry thought they had scored a winning goal through Torp only to have their goal disallowed for offside.
It took penalties to separate the 21-place groups of English football and Manchester United emerged triumphant to reach the FA Cup final.
Coventry led early in the penalty shootout after Casemiro parried a tamed effort, but Onana denied O’Hare before Sheaf’s penalty went over the crossbar.
Hojlund’s penalty gave United the pass, but there were no wild celebrations from the Premier League players who took a three-goal lead and nearly embarrassed Coventry.
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