Manchester United blow three goal lead before defeating Coventry City on penalties
Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates after scoring the winning penalty of the shoot-out. Photo credit: Nick Potts/PA Wire.
Rasmus Hojlund’s winning penalty in a shoot-out against Coventry at Wembley has sent Manchester United into the FA Cup Final after a remarkable semi-final in which the Championship side came from 3-0 down to force extra time and almost win it themselves.
United ultimatley triumphed 4-2 on penalties, when striker Hoijlund scored comfortably after Ben Sheaf had blazed his effort over the bar, and will face derby rivals Manchester City in the final on 25 May (just as they did in 2023).
But on a day when new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in the crowd at Wembley, along with fellow co-owners Joel and Avram Glazer, United manager Erik Ten Hag looked an extremely worried man as he watched his side almost throw it away.
United looked to be cruising after goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes put them comfortably 3-0 ahead and easing off the gas ready for Sheffield United in the Premier League in midweek But gutsy Coventry had other ideas when United, as they have done so many times this season, suddenly switched off and lost the plot.
Ellis Simms drilled home for 3-1, then Callum O’Hare’s deflected effort left Onana stranded, setting up a remarkable finale, culminating in an injury-time penalty from Haji Wright after Aaron Wan-Bissa blocked a cross with his arm.
It was an astonishing, whirlwind comeback from the Championship side, and left United fans booing their own team as the whistle eventually went to signal extra time.
That’s not what Ten Hag needed when he fighting for his job.
When the cameras panned to Ratcliffe, head bowed and hand on chin, shortly after Coventry’s second goal, you sensed the tension – and things got a whole lot worse.
City thought they had won it in the very last minute of injury time when substitute Victor Torp finished off a brilliant breakaway move – only for VAR to deny Coventry, and football, a moment we would have remembered forever.
Arriving at Wembley, the game always looked ripe for an upset given United’s continuing injury crisis, that required Casemiro to play in central defence, and their recent stuttering form in the Premier League.
But they had handled it so well for 70 minutes, despite the noise from Coventry’s passionate fans.
McTominay opened the scoring after 22 minutes, tapping in a Diogo Dalot cross, and Maguire thundered home a header from a Bruno Fernandes corner just on the stroke of half time.
By the time that Fernandes wriggled to shoot home inside the penalty area after 58 minutes, right in front of the United fans, any doubt over the result seemed to have been erased.
But not for this United side, who also conceded late goals to throw away leads against Brentford, Chelsea and Liverpool recently.
They made it unnecessarily nervy again by allowing Simms to drill home from close range after 71 minutes, guaranteeing a fervent atmosphere for the finale. By the time that O’Hare’s effort squirmed over Onana, the panic in the Red Devils’ team was tangible.
Only a world class save from Onana denied Coventry substitute Victor Torp what would have been an incredible equaliser with five minutes to go and he unleashed a volley from the edge of the area.
And then, deep into injury time, the Sky Blues did it. Wright cooly drilling home a penalty to take the tie to extra time.
Chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” came rolling down from the Coventry end; and not even United fans had an answer to that.
By the time extra-time arrived you had lost all vision of who was Premier League and who was Championship; it was just about finding that last bit of energy to finish the game off one way or another. Surely United would have the quality to do that?
Fernandes came close with a shot against the post but Coventry looked the more dynamic after that, with O’Hare and Simms outstanding.
In fact, Simms came so close to winning it with a shot on the turn that smashed against the United crossbar with Onana beaten - before Torp was cruelly denied not by the woodwork but by a computer.
The penalties were close, too, but Onana’s crucial save from O’Hare and Sheaf’s miss saved brave Coventry’s fate; and perhaps changed ten Hag’s, too.
United will be out for revenge when they face City here again in May.
Collins 7, Latibeaudiere 6 (Tavares Desiderio 63; 6), Thomas 8, Kitching 6 (Binks 63; 6), Bidwell 7 (Dasilva 80; 7), Eccles 7 (Torp 63; 7), Sheaf 6, O'Hare 9, Van Ewijk 7, Simms 9, Wright 8.
Binks, Kelly, Allen, Wilson, Godden, Andrews.
Onana 8, Dalot 7, Maguire 7, Casemiro 6, Wan-Bissaka 6, McTominay 7 (Forson103; 6), Mainoo 6 (Eriksen 72; 6), Garnacho 6 (Antony 66; 6), Fernandes 8, Rashford 6 (Diallo 90+7; 6), Hojlund 6.
Bayindir, Amass, Ogunneye, Jackson, Wheatley.
Robert Jones
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