FA Cup

VICTOR LINDELOF fired home the winning penalty as Manchester United ended their shoot-out curse to set up the first ever Mancunian derby Cup Final.After 12 straight successful spot-kicks, Solly March ballooned his effort over the bar and United, who had lost seven of their previous eight penalty contests, gave themselves a chance of spiking City’s treble bid in the FA Cup on June 3.
Victor Lindelof scored the winning penalty in the shoot-outCredit: AFP
Solly March missed the decisive spot-kick in sudden deathCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
March was devastated by his miss
Robert Sanchez and David de Gea failed to save a penaltyCredit: Getty
Wout Weghorst gave March the kiss of death
After a goalless, largely dismal, match, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford – who had both missed in England’s Euros final defeat by Italy – were among United’s seven scorers from the spot.
United’s only shoot-out victory in the last 14 years had been against Rochdale in the League Cup and David de Gea had saved only two penalties in the last seven years.
But the Spaniard did not need to produce any heroics as United’s takers held their nerve, to make amends for Thursday’s shocking Europa League drubbing by Sevilla.
United now have the chance to complete a domestic cup double and secure a top-four Premier League finish in Erik ten Hag’s first season.

Yet they were scrappy and shoddy here for the first 90 minutes – the histrionics of their skipper Bruno Fernandes being their most eye-catching contribution.
It was one of the worst FA Cup semi-finals in living memory – with Brighton shading the 90 minutes and United on top in extra-time.
But as a contest between two of the Premier League’s top eight teams, it was a huge disappointment.
While he presumably doesn’t own a hairdryer, Ten Hag had given his players a double-barrelled blasting after their dismal Europa League exit against Sevilla.
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But it was Brighton who were playing most of the early football. Kaoru Mitouma cut inside and was floored by Antony on the edge of the United box with Alexis Mac Allister’s free-kick pushed way by a full-stretch De Gea.
United threatened once in the first half-hour when Christian Eriksen fed Bruno Fernandes whose shot was pushed away by Robert Sanchez.
But Brighton, without their excellent young centre-forward Evan Ferguson, were lacking a finisher.
When Solly March reached the line and cut back, Danny Welbeck failed to connect, then Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan went for the same shot and the ball cannoned to safety.
Then, whe Mitoma darted inside again, Enciso drilled just wide.
Mitoma, one of the sensations of the English season, was soon tracking back to rob Antony with an excellent sliding tackle.
United skipper Fernandes was having one of his ratbag afternoons – rolling around on the floor and squabbling with ref Craig Pawson.
When Casemiro was booked for a foul on Mac Allister, Fernandes gave Pawson a gobbing, then another when a Brighton player wasn’t booked for a foul soon after.
Then the Portuguese reacted as though he had taken a headshot from a sniper’s nest after a challenge from Estupinan and Pawson was having none of it.
Fernandes ought to have scored just before half-time when a poor Sanchez clearance was nicked by Casemiro, who fed his captain but the shot was screwed wide of the far post.
Suddenly, United enjoyed a purple patch. Anthony Martial, passed fit despite a knock in Seville, spotted Sanchez off his line but shot over from 25 yards.
Then a Rashford cut-back found Eriksen in space but Sanchez stuck out a foot to stop the Dane’s shot.
After being bossed for 40 minutes, United went in at the break with their tails up.
Yet it was De Gea who was bust again at the start of the second half.
Enciso let rip with a swerving shot which the United keeper pushed over, then Welbeck nodded over from the next corner.
March’s cross-shot was then tipped wide by De Gea and Ten Hag sent on Fred in place of Eriksen.
Antony’s shot was soon saved by Sanchez but the match was beginning to get ragged and filled with errors on either side.
With the game stretched and disjointed, March forced a sprawling save from De Gea but Jadon Sancho, just on as a sub for Martial, had a curling shot deflected wide.
So into extra-time we plodded, where an excellent Sancho cross was headed wide by Marcel Sabitzer.
After 100 minutes of extended sulking, Fernandes was finally replaced by big Wout Weghorst.
United were the livelier side now, and after a neat passing move, Rashford’s deflected shot was brilliantly saved by Sanchez.
Then Casemiro played a Hollywood crossfield to Rashford, who cut in but shot well wide.

Mitoma, clearly exhausted but still willing, went on a weaving run but caught De Gea in the shin as he attempted to shoot.
Shaw summed up the action with the final kick of the match with a free-kick from the centre circle which lolloped into the arms of Sanchez. More

PEP GUARDIOLA always knew he was on a hiding to nothing by trying to ban all talk of the treble.But he couldn’t have expected Riyad Mahrez to defy him so publicly a month ahead of schedule.
Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring from the spotCredit: Getty
The Algerian bagged his second after a stunning solo runCredit: PA
Mahrez made it a hat-trick on 66 minutesCredit: Getty
Mahrez turned a banana-skin semi into a pretty effortless stroll to the final by helping himself to a hat-trick without really breaking sweat.
And in doing so he edged City a step closer to bringing another glorious trio of trophies to Manchester in one season, nearly a quarter of a century after United did so.
A 40th minute penalty, an unopposed run from halfway and the most clinical of sidefoots meant Mahrez took the matchball home with him and the Blades headed north with nothing but memories.
As for City…well whether Pep likes it or not, after Arsenal’s hiccup on Friday and the Blades’ hammering, they are now no better than 2-1 to win the lot. Would you back against them?
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Beat the Gunners on Wednesday and they will be unbackable favourites to retain their Premier League crown.
Few outside of Madrid expect Real to dump them in the Euro semis, leaving only a Milanese opponent between them and a first Champions League trophy.
And with United sliding back into disarray, and Brighton still a world away from this level for all they are living the dream, will today’s opponents in the other semi seriously stop them in next months’ final?
All the Blades had to really look back on with any fond memories here was the fact they had the first chance, when Stefan Ortega blocked Iliman Ndiaye’s second minute shot.
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Let’s face it, if the Blades were to pull off one of THE great Cup shocks, they were never going to do it by trying to match City’s pinball-passing.
But there was no reason why they couldn’t go toe to toe for graft, even if trying to get the ball off City was like trying to nick a black pudding off a vampire.  
Little wonder, then, that City – for all they kept the ball like a vampire with a black pudding – were finding it damned hard work to break through the Sheffield steel.
Time and again they pinged it around the Blades box, and time and again a defensive head or foot got there first.
The only time they did work Wes Foderingham in a bang-your-head-against-the-wall opening 40 minutes was a Julian Alvarez strike from the angled edge of the box.
Almost from that second, it pretty much became a question of when City would score, rather than if.
Yes, the Blades matched them for grit and graft – when does a Yorkshireman ever come off second best in either of those departments? – but never for skill or style.
Which is why it was particularly annoying that having produced such Sheffield steel until five minutes before the break, they gift-wrapped City’s opener.
When Ilkay Gundogan’s free kick curled over, Bernardo Silva swung a leg and totally missed…to mocking cheers from behind the Blades goal. They went too soon.
Daniel Jebbison brought Bernardo Silva down in the boxCredit: Rex
City celebrate booking their place in the FA Cup finalCredit: Reuters
For, as Bernardo waited for the bouncing ball to drop, for reasons only known to him, Daniel Jebbison scythed the Portuguese playmaker’s legs for the clearest penalty you will ever see.
Referee Stuart Attwell certainly had no hesitation. The fact not even Jebbison bothered with anything beyond a token protest shows how blatant it was.
Indeed, the only doubt was over who would take it, Mahrez grabbing the ball, then Erling Haaland strolling over to ask if he could have a pop.
For once this season, the Norwegian came off second best in front of goal, as Mahrez stood firm, then drilled his spot kick into one corner, as Foderingham dived for the other.
Even when the gap was a solitary goal, you knew then that the Blades’ Cup crusade was effectively done. After an hour there really were no doubts.
Max Lowe tamely coughed up possession to Mahrez on halfway, and he faced nothing more than a backing off Jack Robinson and John Egan before clipping into the net.
Little more than a training ground attack versus defence kind of goal…and five minutes later a textbook example of finishing as he completed his treble.
Jack Grealish darted and danced on the left, before delivering the most inviting ball into the box – one which Mahrez buried with a first time sidefoot.
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The perfect end to the perfect day for both him and City. And, a month short of ten years since Wigan pulled off THAT great Wembley shock, a once bitten twice shy message to boot.
Romance of the Cup? This was more the pillaging and plundering of it. Bring on the Gunners…. More