For the first time ever there will be a Manchester derby in the FA Cup final after Manchester United beat Brighton on penalties in Sunday’s semifinal. United’s form may have been patchy of late and there were times at Wembley when it was clinging on, but it has the chance of completing a domestic double in the final on June 3. Perhaps more importantly, it can also deny Manchester City a treble.
United, having gone out of the Europa League with a limp defeat away to Sevilla on Thursday, looked just as weary as it has generally in recent weeks. Without three first-choice central defenders through injury or suspension, its setup was understandably cautious, and yet it still conceded chances regularly to a Brighton side that, enterprising as it was, was perhaps not quite at the heights it has hit at times this season.
A patchwork squad, pieced together under a procession of managers with little guiding principle, has Erik ten Hag having to compromise his possession-football principles. It’s fair to say he would prefer a goalkeeper who was more accomplished with the ball at his feet, but de Gea, as he has repeatedly this season, bailed United out with a couple of excellent saves.
