It is highly unlikely that anyone other than Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United could qualify for the FA Cup Final while hаnging their necks in disgrace.
However, although United ultimately secured a second consecutive all-Manchester final in this competition, their manner in which they squandered a three-goal lead against Championship Coventry was, even by their own low-fare standards, extraordinary.
17Rasmus Hojlund secured Man Utd’s place in the FA Cup Final with the winning penaltyCredit: PA
17Ben Sheaf was left devastated after he skied the crucial Coventry penaltyCredit: Getty
17Scott McTominay prodded home from close range to break the deadlockCredit: Getty
1Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Avram Glazer, proprietors of United, were ecstatic following the penalty drаmа.Regarding: Alamy
And Coventry’s 120th-minute goal by Victor Torp appeared to be the most absurd revival in Wembley history until VAR Thomas Bramall ruled it out for a slight offside in the buildup.
However, United overcame a deficit in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out when Ben Sheaf, captain of Coventry, fired an incredibly off-target penalty that advanced the Red Devils.
Mark Robins, whose renowned FA Cup goal once saved the skin of Sir Alex Ferguson, witnessed his Sky Blues storm back with three goals in the final 20 minutes: an Ellis Simms goal, a Callum O’Hare attempt that was deflected, and a penalty converted by Haji Wright, which was contentious.
At the conclusion of regular time, United were vehemently applauded by their own supporters, while Coventry’s ecstatic supporters celebrated as if it were 1987, the year their club defeated Tottenham in a Cup final that went down in classic fashion.United has the ability to breathe life into a cakewalk.
Several times this season, Ten Hag’s squad has squandered two-goal leads, but to trail second-tier opponents 3-0 with 20 minutes remaining and fail to execute game management effectively was heinous.
It is surprising that Steve McClaren, Ten Hag’s assistant, did not set up an umbrella on the Wembley touchline during the extremely dry conditions, as he did during his England reign.
United were in cruise control after Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire scored in the first half, and Bruno Fernandes added one early in the second.However, United shut down as soon as Ten Hag began substituting, and Coventry staged a late comeback that injected absurd drаmа into a semi-final weekend that had otherwise appeared to be a complete failure.
However, notwithstanding their comical shoddiness, United managed to qualify for a third domestic final in four attempts during Ten Hag’s tenure.Before last year, when an Ilkay Gundogan brace helped City defeat their crosstown rivals 2-1 and completed the second leg of Pep Guardiola’s Treble, the two Manchester clubs had never met in a major cup final.
United, who had advanced to this semi-final with an epic victory over Liverpool in the previous round, had won the Carabao Cup the previous year.
Therefore, although United have struggled mightily in the Premier League and the Champions League this season, the Cup has provided some solace.
Ten Hag’s career is unlikely to be saved even by the improbable outcome of a final victory over City; after all, Louis Van Gaal was fired mere days after United won this competition for the last time in 2016.
A few Glazer siblings and Sir Jim Ratcliffe were in attendance to observe a triumph that was far from being as comfortable as it should have been.
On their big day out, the Sky Blues supporters made a tremendous commotion, and Robins’ squad responded in kind in the final quarter, causing United to suffer a severe pаnic аttаck.
Five center-backs being sidelined with injuries prompted Ten Hag to introduce Casemiro alongside Maguire in defense..
However, the Premier League should have scored at least two goals prior to opening the scoring in the middle of the first half.
Fernandes initially blocked Andre Onana’s long punt, which was intercepted by Rasmus Hojlund, whose feet became entangled and who took an air shot.
Then, Marcus Rashford, assisted by Casemiro’s long diagonal, entered the game from the left but feebly rolled his shot past the far post.
Then, however, United’s player of the season, Diogo Dalot, raced down the right and delivered a perilous low center pass that McTominay met with a darting run and a goal at the back post.
Coventry provided almost nothing, and the disparity in skill was painfully evident for over an hour.
Dalot made a crucial save with a goal-saving interception after Josh Eccles defeated Aaron Wan-Bissaka down the right and crossed low to Sims in the 39th minute for Robins’ side, which had finally threatened the United goal.
Prior to halftime, however, United appeared to be at home and hosed. Dalot initially cut back for Marcus Rashford, whose ascending shot Bradley Collins deflected over.
17Harry Maguire scored a towering headerCredit: Getty
17Maguire pumps his fist after doubling United’s leadCredit: Reuters
17Bruno Fernandes made it 3-0 to the Red DevilsCredit: Reuters
17Fernandes bagged his side’s third of the afternoonCredit: Getty
17Ellis Simms got Coventry on the scoresheetCredit: PA
17Callum O’Hare’s deflected effort made it 3-2Credit: PA
17Aaron Wan-Bissaka was penalised for handballCredit: Rex
1Haji Wright erroneously routed Andre Onana.Regarding: Getty
Maguire cleared a stationary Collins with a header after leaping above a cluster of Coventry defenders to receive the ensuing corner kιck from Fernandes.
After the intermission, Fernandes missed the target with a 20-yard parabola, but the captain quickly added to the scoreboard.
The third goal was the result of a sweeping play that began with a leaping Ԁummy from referee Robert Jones and continued with Fernandes wriggling free to beаt Collins at his near post after a Rashford cross was blocked.
Subsequently, Maguire missed the target with a close-range attempt, while Callum O’Hare’s aerial header bore resemblance to Keith Houchen’s final effort in 1987.
United was starting to lose interest in the game when Coventry scored the game-winning goal, which ignited the opposition just as they were about to do so.
Substitute Fabio Tavares advanced to their near post, where Simms beаt Onana with a shot.
Their team regained confidence as the Sky Blue half of Wembley was redistributed.
Coventry’s second goal contained a strоke of luck when O’Hare lacerated from a distance and the ball looped over a defenseless Onana before striking the back of Wan-Bissaka.
The situation was becoming increasingly precarious for United as Onana, who was subsequently booked for wasting time, blocked Torp’s powerful drive.
Then, in the 93rd minute, everything became absurdly sublime. Wan-Bissaka was in close proximity to a cross from Luis Binks when the United fullback appeared to be attempting to clear the way with his arm.
17Casemiro saw his penalty saved first of all for Man UtdCredit: Reuters
17Andre Onana got United back in it when saving Callum O’Hare’s effortCredit: Getty
17Ben Sheaf then skied his penalty to hand United the opportunity to win itCredit: Getty
17Therefore, Hojlund was able to convert and secure the victory.Awarded to AFPNevertheless, Jones indicated the location, and VAR Thomas Bramall affirmed the severe on-field ruling.Wright took the initiative and deftly directed Onana in the opposite direction. Early in extra-time, Fernandes struck the crossbar with a strike. However, in the final minutes, Coventry began to rip apart United’s defense, most notably when Wright dragged a shot while clear through. Then Simms struck the underside of the bar with an angled shot. Torp firmly converted a cutback from Wright and believed he had scored one of Wembley’s most renowned goals.Wright, however, was marginally deemed offside by VAR Bramall, which ruled out the score. The initial spot-kιck from Casemiro was directed directly at Collins. However, O’Hare’s penalty was averted by Onana, and Sheaf’s attempt was a dismal one, until Hojlund converted to seal a meaningless victory.
17Erik ten Hag faces more pressure and questions after their collapseCredit: Getty