He gave a kiss to the cheek of David De Gea at the end but it was Victor Lindelöf who was the hero of this penalty shootout, keeping his cool in the Wembley rain to score the winning penalty with a fantastic right foot finish into the top corner that sends Manchester United through to the final.
Lindelöf has been the subject of scrutiny at Old Trafford lately, indeed as recently as Thursday night when he was part of a hapless defence that crashed out of the Europa League against Sevilla.
Lindelöf’s situation at United is up in the air for the reasons outlined in my most recent blog. But he proved at Wembley that he is still a solid defender, calm in possession and much more assertive when he occupies the right-sided centre-back role alongside someone other than the nerve-inducing Harry Maguire.
He is worth persisting with. United should look to keep him and give him more opportunities as third choice centre-back, ahead of Maguire.
De Gea penalty record goes on
It was a tense penalty shootout in which neither goalkeeper managed to make a save. The two Spaniards Robert Sanchez and David De Gea could not keep any of the 14 penalties out, and after the game finished 0-0 in the end it needed Brighton’s Solly March to smack his spot kick over the bar to give United the advantage that they grabbed with both hands.
Speaking of grabbing with both hands, that is not something De Gea has been too successful with from penalties of late. De Gea memorably failed to save a single penalty in United’s 2021 Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, a shootout which notoriously involved 22 penalties. The Spaniard let every single penalty in and then missed his own penalty to lose the match, after Villarreal’s goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli scored his spot kick.
De Gea has now saved just two of the last 54 penalties on target he has faced – a shocking 3.7%. He seemed to be studiously checking a notebook hidden in his glove bag by the touchline before every penalty, but amusingly, still could not save a single one. Unfortunately for Brighton, March could not keep his effort on target.
Brighton’s tactical style is worth admiring
“We’ve got a solution for each style that the team comes up against,” Lewis Dunk told the BBC before this game, a huge occasion for Brighton and Hove Albion and only the third time the club has ever reached an FA Cup semi-final.
“So we’ve got different triggers to move to different shapes and times of pressing. It’s crazy that we’ve got this many ideas in our head but it’s kept simple.”
Dunk’s comments summed up the praise for the magnificent tactical work Roberto De Zerbi is doing at Brighton, and an example of this tactical sophistication in action came as early as the sixth minute of this semi-final.
Brighton drew United’s whole attacking line into their centre-backs, Dunk and Adam Webster, with some short passes across their box before quickly finding Moises Caicedo whose sumptuous reverse ball beat United’s entire press and put Brighton into a great attacking situation.
Advancing to the edge of the box, Kaoru Mitoma was fouled by Antony for a dangerous free-kick and the best chance of the opening ten minutes which De Gea saved well. It was a warning sign for United but also an example of just how clever Brighton’s intricate build-up play is in possession.
There’s no doubt, they are one of the smartest and most entertaining teams to watch in the Premier League this season despite this defeat.
United not at their best but get the job done
Although De Gea was unable to save a penalty, he was excellent at Wembley, making a string of high quality saves during the 120 minutes of open play to remind everyone what a fine shot stopper he is.
De Gea made an unbelievable point-blank save in the second half to deny Julio Enciso, and Brighton will rue several opportunities they let escape them in this match including chances from Danny Welbeck and substitute Denis Undav that went begging.
Though energetic in phases, Erik Ten Hag’s team let their tempo and intensity drop at times, perhaps feeling the after effects of a tough away game in Spain on Thursday night. Brighton were the fresher side, Christian Eriksen in particular struggled to impose himself in midfield, but United stayed in the fight like a boxer that refuses to be beaten and delivered their knockout blow with seven cool penalties in the shootout.
Moises Caicedo is ready for a top club
Much of the talk around Brighton this season, sadly, has focused on which of their brilliant signings will be sold to bigger clubs in the summer. Arsenal had two bids rejected for Moises Caicedo in January, teenager Evan Ferguson is highly coveted (and was thoroughly missed upfront in this game), Kaoru Mitoma has been one of the best dribblers in the league and Alexis MacAllister has won a World Cup, attracting interest.
Whatever happens in the summer, one thing we learned at Wembley is that whoever manages to persuade Brighton to sell Moises Caicedo is getting one hell of a talent.
Caicedo was excellent in midfield and plays a crucial part in Brighton’s game plan. He is press resistant, can receive with his back to goal from the goalkeeper or centre-backs, draws players in without losing possession, which creates space for Brighton to attack into, and can break the midfield press with his incisive passing and vision.
If this was the audition for a big summer move he passed with flying colours. Liverpool and Arsenal scouts will surely have been watching on licking their lips.
First Manchester derby final
Victory for Manchester United means June 3rd will see the first ever Manchester derby FA Cup final, as the red half of Manchester face their city rivals Manchester City.
With City also in a title race and the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, by the time of the final City could be on their way to winning the treble of FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League, an achievement only ever managed by one team in the history of English football: Manchester United.
Of course, there is a long way to go before then and plenty of football to be played. Arsenal remain top of the league by five points and Real Madrid are Real Madrid. But it could be that Ten Hag’s side have one of the only remaining chances to stop City from matching their greatest ever achievement – a fact that will only add even more spice to an already piping hot rivalry.
It should be a classic.