Manchester United players Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes celebrate after the win against Coventry
Credit: Reuters Photo
London: Manchester United survived one of the most astonishing FA Cup semi-final comebacks ever to beat second-tier Coventry City 4-2 on penalties after a spellbinding clash ended 3-3 after extra time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
United were cruising to a record 22nd FA Cup final thanks to goals by Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes with Coventry barely managing to lay a glove on their illustrious opponents for 70 minutes.
But Coventry, playing in their first FA Cup semi-final since they won the Cup in 1987, fought back with goals by Ellis Simms and Callum O'Hare, and with United rocking, Haji Wright stroked home a stoppage-time penalty after an Aaron Wan-Bissaka handball.
Both sides hit the woodwork in a rollercoaster extra 30 minutes -- Fernandes for United and Simms for Coventry, his effort bouncing down off the underside of the crossbar.
Coventry's 36,000 fans were sent into delirium when substitute Victor Torp poked home with almost the last kick of the game but what would have been a deserved winner was disallowed for a slender offside after a VAR check.
Casemiro missed a spot kick for United in the shootout but Andre Onana saved O'Hare's kick and Ben Sheaf fired his effort over the crossbar to leave Rasmus Hojlund with the job of sending United through and he coolly scored past Bradley Collins.
United's fans celebrated but they know they came within a whisker of calamity. They will now face Manchester City in the showpiece final on May 25 -- the first time the same two clubs have contested the FA Cup final in consecutive years since 1885.
It was desperately tough on Coventry who looked down and out when Fernandes made it 3-0 before throwing caution to the wind to stun Erik ten Hag's side.
Coventry, managed by former United Cup winner Mark Robins, were the better side in extra time and the superb Simms struck the underside of the crossbar deep into extra time.
And when Torp tapped in it seemed the unthinkable had happened but Wright was adjudged to have been fractionally offside in the build-up to the goal.
Relief for Ten Hag but United's fragility exposed again
Manchester United's fragility was laid bare as they contrived to almost lose an FA Cup semi-final they had complete control of against second-tier Coventry City on Sunday.
They managed to scramble into the final against Manchester City on penalties but having led 3-0 with 71 minutes on the clock, it almost felt like a hollow victory.
Coventry, like so many sides this season, exposed United's soft centre and were centimetres away from pulling off one of the comebacks of all time -- Victor Torp's winner ruled out for offside in the last minute of extra time.
As United buckled late on, Coventry's fans bellowed the time-honoured chant of "you're getting sacked in the morning" as Ten Hag looked stunned on the touchline.
The Dutchman could breathe a huge sigh of relief when Rasmus Hojlund rolled home the winning spot kick in front of United's fans -- but the questions about his future will multiply.
"It was an incredible game, a strange game too. We had total control for so long and then gave it away in the last part of the game. We did show resilience to win the penalty shootout," Ten Hag said. "We had control for 75 minutes and have to give Coventry a compliment for what they did in the last 15 minutes.
"We have to improve. We talk a lot about this. First you have to put yourself in a winning position but then you have to take it over the line. In these moments we are making mistakes and not keeping our responsibilities."
United will have to improve drastically if they are to have any chance of avoiding a repeat of last year's final defeat by City, although after an incredible quarter-final win against Liverpool and now this narrow escape against Coventry they may start to believe their name is on the Cup.
"It's mixed feelings. We can be happy with the achievement, getting to the final, that's huge," Ten Hag, who has taken United to two FA Cup finals and a League Cup final, which they won, in his two seasons at the helm, said.
"I want to win it. I'm sure we have a good chance to win this final, although we play the best team in the world. We do have a chance though. We showed that this season."
Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane said United reaching the final in such chaotic circumstances had done little to take the heat off Ten Hag.
"They'll be celebrating getting to a cup final tonight but all this does is put more pressure on the manager," he said.
"Coventry looked like a Premier League team and Manchester United looked like a Championship side."