Erik ten Hag defends David de Gea after poor Europa League outing vs Sevilla
David de Gea, the goalkeeper of Manchester United, was defended by the manager Erik ten Hag, after his poor performance in the Europa League against Sevilla. De Gea has been a great performer for the Red Devils over the years, and has been recently praised by Ten Hag as a ‘multi-functional and ‘really complete’ keeper. However, he had a dreadful performance against Sevilla in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final and was at fault for all three goals conceded. The first goal came from Harry Maguire being displaced in his own box after three Sevilla players converged on him, but De Gea could have avoided the pass. The Andalusian outfit made it 2-0 shortly after the break as Loic Bade scored off his shoulder. De Gea miscalculated the flight of the ball as it looped over him. United never looked like finding a way back into the tie and De Gea ended any slender hopes by gifting Sevilla with the third goal with a poor bit of handling. The Spaniard came a long way out of his box to clear Acuna’s long ball but had a poor first touch which allowed Youssef En-Nesyri to score into an empty net. De Gea had probably one of the worst games in his career, but Ten Hag was supportive over him, highlighting that he has the most clean sheets in the Premier League and that he is a ‘very capable’ goalkeeper.
Despite his poor performance, De Gea has been the subject of criticism from some fans and pundits after yesterday’s showing. However, he has the opportunity to redeem himself when United face Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The Seagulls should create chances on goal with their free-flowing attacking football, and De Gea must show better resolve between the sticks. United will have the services of Bruno Fernandes for the Wembley showdown, who missed the second leg in Seville with a European suspension. It should be another tricky encounter due to the Seagulls’ good form, and the Red Devils have to play at their best to beat the South Coast side.
Ten Hag defended De Gea, despite his recent errors, stating that the Spanish goalkeeper had the most clean sheets in the Premier League, proving that he is a ‘very capable’ goalkeeper. It was one of De Gea’s worst games in his career, and he needs to respond to criticism and show his best against Brighton on Sunday. With Fernandes back in the squad, Manchester United will have a better chance to win, but they need to play at their best to progress to the FA Cup final.
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