It took a while but, finally, the FA Cup has it’s first all-Manchester final. On June 3, Wembley will be the scene for the 151st cup showpiece and also the 190th meeting of Manchester neighbours.
Manchester United penned in the date with a penalty shoot-out win over Brighton & Hove Albion in a semi-final that had more than a whiff of the 1983 final between the two sides. Then, Gordon Smith simply had to score for the Sussex club in extra time, here it was the oft-maligned Victor Lindelof who had the chance to deliver for United.
A tight, tense and, rather, nerve-shredding 120 minutes brought no winner. And during the subsequent penalty shoot-out, Solly March missed, allowing Lindelof to send Erik ten Hag’s team to their second domestic cup final of the season.
It was harsh on March, who blasted his attempt over the crossbar, and Brighton after they had gone toe-to-toe with the 12-time winners. Roberto De Zerbi’s side dominated for large spells with United requiring David De Gea to pull off some crucial saves.
There was an element of redemption for United’s Spanish goalkeeper after his horrid return to his homeland in midweek when he was at fault for at least two of the goals that saw them exit European competition.
Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho both converted their first spot-kicks back at the national stadium after their Euro 2020 final misses — redemption for them too.
Ten Hag will know his side must do something special to stop City when they return here in six weeks' time. Manchester City could be on for the second part of their Treble then — an accolade United know all about and will do anything to preserve as their own.
Story of the game
Both Brighton and United have experienced seasons of note. Ten Hag’s first campaign has set the Manchester club on the right track. However, they arrived here on the back of that sorry Europa League exit on Thursday with Ten Hag saying the team’s limp performance in Sevilla was “not acceptable”.
But a second Wembley win of the campaign, having already defeated Newcastle United in February’s League Cup final, would surely see to that.
Brighton, in contrast, had won six of their last nine games, defeated United twice already this term and are, by general consensus, one of the best-run clubs in the country. Reaching a first final since 1983 would have been a just reward for owner Tony Bloom and sporting director Paul Barber.
It was Brighton, after all, who possessed the World Cup winner in the starting line-ups. Alexis MacAllister would have been joined by United’s Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez had the defensive duo not been on the treatment table.
De Zerbi called for his players to “love the pressure” of appearing in the club’s third FA Cup semi-final — they lost to City in 2019. Wembley certainly had more than a hint of Sussex by the Sea about it given the wave of blue and white flags.
Brighton tried to test De Gea from the off. When Kauro Mitoma had his heels clipped by Antony whilst darting in from the left, the chance came. MacAllister’s free-kick was curling in but the Spaniard leapt to his left to push the effort aside.
Both teams got early joy cutting in from the flanks. After one Antony advance down the right, Robert Sanchez parried the resulting shot from Bruno Fernandes. While, for Brighton, Pervis Estupiñan and Mitoma got in each others way when trying to convert a Pascal Gross pull-back.
United’s defence was rather makeshift, although Luke Shaw has deputised well at centre-back. Brighton had Danny Welbeck leading the line against his boyhood club, Evan Ferguson had failed to recover from an ankle injury to be involved.
If the start had been promising then it quickly became stodgy; not helped by Rashford, Fernandes and March all going down and requiring treatment. Once the tempo quickened a little, Aaron Wan-Bissaka produced an important tackle to halt Mitoma as he went to shoot and the United defender also put Julio Enciso off from connecting properly with the follow-up.
United, rather insipid in attack for much of the half, did rouse a little before the break. Fernandes, fresh from being berated by the Brighton supporters for going to ground too easily, dragged a shot wide. Anthony Martial attempted a lob which drifted over the crossbar. And Sanchez denied Christian Eriksen with an outstretched leg.
Would United come out with more intent after the interval? Ten Hag will have hoped for more thrust from his strike-force. But, if anything, it was Brighton who emerged reinvigorated from 15 minutes with De Zerbi.
They probed the United rearguard, and Enciso, scorer of the stunning winner against Chelsea last weekend, went closest to breaking the deadlock with a powerful left-footed shot which De Gea did well to push over. From the subsequent corner Welbeck missed Brighton’s best chance when he misdirected a free header at the back post.
United took that as a warning and when Enciso hacked down Rashford, Fernandes should have done better with the free-kick that cannoned back off the Brighton wall. A further dent to Brighton came in the form of Welbeck being forced off after clashing knees with Victor Lindelof.
March’s low shot required a save from De Gea and the United ‘keeper was quick to gather the loose ball with Gross lurking.
Both managers made changes to try and turn this tight game their way — Sancho being one of them and his curling shot was goalbound only for March’s touch to take it beyond the far post. Extra-time felt inevitable.
Moises Caicedo took aim from distance for Brighton and substitute Marcel Sabitzer flicked a header wide for United. But the best chances fell for Rashford whose snap-shot took a slight deflection requiring Sanchez to readjust and make a fine save down to his left. Then another of his flashed wide.
Mitoma tried to bundle the ball in past De Gea late on, but penalties beckoned and Lindelof ensured Manchester will empty in early June.
Player of the match: Moises Caicedo
Led Brighton's valiant charge from midfield. The Ecuadorian finished with a pass completion of 85 per cent and won seven of his 11 duels. Alongside MacAllister, he prevented United from building a head of steam and was often the source of the balls in behind the opposing defence.
