Although it appeared to be in jeopardy—having fallen behind late in the second half and in extra time—Manchester United preserved their record of never losing an FA Cup match at home against Liverpool, a streak that dates back more than a century to 1921. In this match, back in 1960, United were the last side to win the FA Cup on the road.
According to Erik Ten Hag, his squad performed at its best point in the season during the opening thirty-five minutes of this game. There’s a debate if this was United’s best performance under Ten Hag. It was weakened by the two goals from Liverpool shortly before halftime.
This victory maintains United’s chances of winning a trophy at the end of the campaign. Of course, it might not be enough to keep Erik ten Hag employed in the long run, particularly if his team is eliminated from the Champions League the following season, but winning a trophy in May at Wembley would at least provide him with something to hold onto.
the championship group Though it appeared for a considerable amount of time that their FA Cup adventure against Liverpool was going to end in disappointment, Coventry City is now all that remains before them and a spot in the final.
United entered the second half appearing unfocused and were confined to their own half for extended periods of time. At halftime, the visitors had scored twice, leaving United behind 2-1. It was only because of a last-minute intervention by another replacement, Antony, that they managed to force overtime in the match.
Given their domination in the second half, Jurgen Klopp will be perplexed as to why his players didn’t finish the game in that timeframe. He will also be even more irate that they wasted a second-half opportunity after taking the lead once again thanks to a deflected shot from Harvey Elliott.
The game was ultimately turned on its head by two instances in which the Reds handed up the ball in risky situations: Marcus Rashford and Amad.
Therefore, even if the FA Cup has lost significance for football clubs in the twenty-first century due to the wealth of opportunities in the Premier League and Champions League, it may still provide a good number of unforgettable moments. Sometimes the “magic” is still there; you simply have to wait for it to show itself in later rounds.
“I am so happy for him,” Ten Hag said of the Ivorian. “He is one of the players who had huge setbacks. Returning when there is a lot of competition in his position, doesn’t always get the time he deserves to play but then he comes on, shows his contribution by scoring a goal.
But we know he can do it. I am very pleased he can do it. But also we had another sub, Antony, score the equaliser. He is also in a problematic situation, but he is also fighting.”
