After Brighton's brave victory, Ten Hag singles out two Man Utd stars for special attention
Manchester United has reached the final of the FA Cup after beating Brighton 7-6 on penalties at Wembley Stadium. Despite facing several challenges throughout a grueling 120 minutes of action, the Red Devils' determination paid off as Solly March missed his spot-kick, allowing Swedish center-back Victor Lindelof to convert the winning penalty, sending United supporters into raptures. Manager Erik ten Hag praised the performances of Luke Shaw and Lindelof, who played brilliantly and were indispensable at the heart of defense. Ten Hag also expressed his pride in goalkeeper David de Gea's performance, who made some brilliant saves, bouncing back after his midweek horror show in Seville.
Due to injuries to first-choice central defensive duo Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, United fielded a somewhat scratch backline, with Diogo Dalot starting at left-back to cover for Shaw, who partnered Lindelof in central defense. Aaron Wan-Bissaka had a fine game at right-back, and United locked down Brighton despite their attacking threat, although Roberto De Zerbi's side may still feel aggrieved that they failed to find the net despite enjoying large spells of possession. United had chances of their own, with Marcus Rashford forcing Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into a fine save to keep the score level.
Ten Hag was proud of his team's reaction to the 3-0 defeat in Andalusia, stating that he saw a team he didn't recognize on Thursday but saw determination and resilience in his team during the FA Cup semi-final. United will now face Manchester City in the FA Cup final, following their rival's 3-0 demolition of Sheffield United. This means Ten Hag could end his debut season with two trophies in addition to a top-four finish, with eight matches left to play. Brighton could plot their revenge by hunting down the Red Devils in the Premier League, and the two sides are still due to meet at the Amex Stadium on May 4 in a match that could define both team's top-flight seasons.
United now turn their attention to the trip to Tottenham on Thursday, with Spurs hungry to put things right following their embarrassing 6-1 defeat at Newcastle. It remains to be seen if United will stick with their scratch backline or if Martinez and Varane will return to the starting lineup. Nevertheless, the Red Devils will be looking to continue their winning momentum as they push for a top-four finish in the Premier League and aim to add another trophy to their collection.
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