Some reaction.
Jonathan Wilson on the match.
Player ratings.
I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report from Wembley. Thanks for your company and emails. Congratulations to United, commiserations to Brighton – goodnight.
Watch Victor Lindelof’s winning penalty
Victor Lindelof sends Manchester United into the FA Cup final!!!#BBCFootball #FACup pic.twitter.com/daInzIKuHX
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 23, 2023
Brighton won’t die wondering. They gave everything and dominated possession for most of the game. But they will reflect on certain moments, particularly Danny Welbeck’s header at 0-0 and Sanchez almost saving Sabitzer’s penalty at 5-4. He got a decent piece of it, leading with his left hand as he dived to his right, but Sabitzer hit it with just enough height and power to get it through.
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“Absolutely GRIPPING!” says Keith. “Phenomenal. I just fell into the lake.”
It could have gone either way – like, duh – but you have to admire United’s resilience. They were without three centre-backs, they were embarrassed on Thursday, yet they managed to keep a clean sheet against one of the best attacking teams in Europe right now.
David de Gea made two or three terrific saves (even if he again didn’t stop any penalties), while Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof were quietly excellent. Lindelof’s day ended perfectly when he scored the winning penalty.
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Ach, you have to feel for Brighton, and especially Solly March, whose greatest season will now have an asterisk against it. Lewis Dunk goes straight over to console March for 30 seconds or so, then puts his own head under his shirt to take it all in.
MAN UTD WIN 7-6 ON PENALTIES
Lindelof scores! Another excellent penalty, whipped high into the net with Sanchez going the wrong way. For the first time in history, the FA Cup final will be a Manchester derby. One team will be going for a cup double; another might be chasing a Treble.
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March misses! Brighton 6-6 Man Utd
Solly March smashes it over the bar! An awful moment for a player having the season of his life.
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Mitoma, who missed for Japan at the World Cup, hasn’t stepped up yet. It’s Solly March now…
Weghorst scores! Brighton 6-6 Man Utd
And on we go! Another calm penalty, low to the right, with Sanchez going the wrong way.
Webster scores! Brighton 6-5 Man Utd
And again de Gea is sent the wrong way! These penalties have been outstanding.
Sabitzer scores! Brighton 5-5 Man Utd
Marcel Sabitzer steps forward, impassive, and just scores. Sanchez got a strong hand on it, high to his right, but it went through him and into the side netting.
Dunk scores! Brighton 5-4 Man Utd
The Brighton captain Lewis Dunk steps forward… and sends de Gea the wrong way! Brighton are one save away from the FA Cup final.
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Rashford scores! Brighton 4-4 Man Utd
Rashford runs round the ball… and lifts it over the diving Sanchez! Another superb penalty. The standard these days is through the roof.
Estupinan scores! Brighton 4-3 Man Utd
De Gea is sent the wrong way and Brighton are ahead again. Next up: Marcus Rashford.
Sancho scores! Brighton 3-3 Man Utd
Next up is Jadon Sancho, who missed in the Euro 2021 final. This time he lifts a majestic penalty into the top-left corner.
Undav scores! Brighton 3-2 Man Utd
Another superb penalty, whacked into the bottom left corner. De Gea went the right way but had no chance.
Dalot scores! Brighton 2-2 Man Utd
He looks nervous… but he puts an excellent penalty into the bottom-right corner. Sanchez went the right way but couldn’t reach it.
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Gross scores! Brighton 2-1 Man Utd
De Gea went the right way but Gross, with no run-up, smashed it high into the net. That was a great penalty.
Casemiro scores! Brighton 1-1 Man Utd
He calmly sends Sanchez the wrong way.
Mac Allister scores! Brighton 1-0 Man Utd
A fine penalty, curled high to his right.
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It’s suddenly pouring down, which gives a Moscow 2008 vibe to proceedings. Brighton will take the first penalty, and it’s in front of their fans.
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“Every United manager since Fergie has lost a penalty shoot out,” says Nick Parmenter. “ETH might as well get his out the way!!”
And Fergie lost a few as well. I’m still not over Torpedo Moscow.
Penalty shootout form
I’d need to double check, but I think Brighton have a decent record – seven wins out of 11 – in penalty competitions. United’s used to be good but in modern times it’s hopeless: they’ve lost seven of the last eight I think, starting with another FA Cup semi-final, against Everton, in 2009.
Bizarrely – and this is a great stat from Gary Lineker on the BBC – United’s sole victory in the last 14 years was against Rochdale in 2019. Their goalkeeper was Robert Sanchez, on loan from Brighton.
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Full time: Brighton 0-0 Man Utd
After all that, the second semi-final goes to a penalty competition.
120+1 min “Even as a Brighton fan,” writes Johan, “I think a LOT of questionable decisions have gone their way today. Do you think, either consciously or unconsciously, the litany of previous refereeing mistakes (like the Mitoma non-penalty against Spurs) have made Pawson wary of making a mistake against them today?”
That’s a very good point, which I hadn’t considered. Mitoma should certainly have been sent off.
120 min Gross’s corner is headed away by Weghorst.
119 min March beats Malacia and Fred quite brilliantly on the right edge of the area, keeps the ball in play and slides a cross that hits Shaw and deflects into the side-netting at the near post.
119 min Sanchez had had a fine game today. He’s made one outstanding save and a handful of good ones; more than that, he has radiated calm.
118 min Casemiro turns away from Caicedo, 25 yards from goal, and cuts across a low drive that is well held to his right by Sanchez.
117 min The resulting free-kick is woefully overhit by Sabitzer.
116 min Veltman concedes a stupid foul on Weghorst by the corner flag. Weghorst bounces to his feet and implores the United fans to make some more noise.
114 min The referee Craig Pawson has had a really poor game today.
113 min Mitoma plays a lovely give and go with Gross in a crowded area, but then overruns the ball and takes out de Gea. He’s already been booked and is seriously lucky not to be sent off for that.
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112 min Casemiro pings another pass over the top towards Rashford. He retrieves it on the left, cuts inside and crashes a shot that swerves a few yards of the far post. A really good effort, and Rashford has suddenly come to life.
110 min Lindelof sprays a pass over the top towards Rashford, who goes over under a challenge from Veltman. The referee gives nothing. It looked like a foul at first glance, though it’s hard to be certain without seeing a replay. Veltman was the last man so it might have been a red card. They were about 30-35 yards from goal though.
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109 min I’d need to double check, but I think Brighton have a decent record – seven wins out of 11 – in penalty competitions. United’s used to be good but in modern times it’s hopeless: they’ve lost seven of the last eight I think, starting with another FA Cup semi-final, against Everton, in 2009.
107 min March wrestles with Fred on the edge of the area and eventually makes room for a shot that is well held to his left by de Gea.
106 min Marcel Sabitzer gets the second period of extra time under way.
Half time in extra time: Brighton 0-0 Man Utd
I cannot believe this game is still goalless.
105 min: Great save by Sanchez! Fred wins the ball off Caicedo 25 yards from the Brighton goal. After a few quick passes, Rashford hits a first-time shot that deflects off Webster and flies towards the bottom corner. Sanchez springs to his left to push it round the post. That was the best save of the game.
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102 min Undav robs Casemiro and leads a three-on-three break, but his pass is cut out by Dalot. United counter the counter, with Fred sliding a low ball right across the six-yard box. Not sure that was the right option from Fred.
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102 min: Double substitution for Man Utd Wout Weghorst and Tyrell Malacia replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka and… Bruno Fernandes. Crikey.
Danny Murphy, the BBC co-commentator, thinks it might be because Fernandes hasn’t been tracking back in the last few minutes. Either way, Sancho is now on the right wing with Rashford on the left.
Wan-Bissaka, it should be said, had an excellent game against Mitoma and Estupinan.
AWB is ridiculously good at 1 v 1 defending. Probably the best in the world bar none. So many wingers run out of ideas when playing directly against him.
— James Maddison (@Madders10) April 23, 2023
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101 min Mitoma swerves past Lindelof, who tries to pull him back and fails. Mitoma then overhits his through pass to Undav.
100 min Fred misses his kick on the edge of the area, though it wouldn’t have counted because there was an offside earlier in the move.
98 min: Chance for Sabitzer! Sancho slips Veltman elegantly on the halfway line and runs to the edge of the area. He lends the ball to Dalot, then lifts a short cross that is glanced not far wide of the far post by Sabitzer. It was a pretty good effort.
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97 min Lindelof is booked for pulling back Mac Allister. Moments later, Caicedo shoots wide from miles out.
94 min: Chance for Undav! Brighton have made a spritely start to the extra time, and they might have taken the lead a moment ago. Caicedo, Gross and Estupinan passed their way very simply through United, with Estupinan guiding the ball into the unmarked Undav on the edge of the area. His first touch was far too heavy, though, and Dalot came across to clear.
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94 min Actually, now Sabitzer is playing as a No8 alongside Fred, so it’s 4-1-2-3. Although in practice it has been 4-1-4-1 today.
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92 min Mac Allister lends the ball to Gross then shoots over from distance.
92 min It looks like United are now playing with Casemiro and Sabitzer as two No6s. Fred is the No8/10 and Sancho and Fernandes are playing wide.
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92 min “Can anyone explain how the one-footed lunge on Casemiro was different to the one he got a red card on VAR for a few weeks ago?” says Bill Gibson.
I don’t have a split-screen, and I’m reasonably busy right now, but I think Casemiro’s was slightly higher and therefore more dangerous. Also, one was Mitoma and the other was Casemiro. Shouldn’t matter, but it does.
91 min Peep peep!
Man Utd substitution Marcel Sabitzer replaces Antony, who had one of his days.
“ETH edges me in football knowledge as well,” says Max Williams. “But man, I don’t see it with Antony. And I still won’t see it when he curls a 30-yard winner in extra time.”
You don’t have to worry about that now.
Full time: Brighton 0-0 Man Utd
Extra-time it is. I’m off for a quick break, see you shortly.
90+2 min Mitoma has come to life. He goes on another thrilling run, away from Wan-Bissaka, but Casemiro comes across to make an immaculate interception on the edge of the area. Mitoma lunges for the ball, studs up, and is booked.
90+1 min Gross’s corner is headed over by the backpedalling March. A quarter chance at best.
90+1 min Three minutes of added time, and Brighton have another corner…
90 min Mitoma dances thrillingly into the area from the left and finds Undav, who tries to turn and is well tackled by Lindelof. Brighton look the likelier winners right now, though extra-time is imminent.
88 min “I just saw the Brighton physio,” says Alex Amponsah. “He is a unit. I have so many questions. Do players dare skip rehab sessions? Is he the strongest physio in the league? How many Mr. Olympias has he won?”
This was mentioned on Soccer Saturday yesterday – there are two of them, both with muscles bursting through their skintight T-shirts. We’ve come a long way from the days of a fat bloke with a magic sponge and a fag dangling to the side of his mouth.
87 min Sancho is straight into the action, curling a shot from 15 yards that takes a nick off March and loops over the bar.
85 min: Man Utd substitution Jadon Sancho replaces Anthony Martial, which means Marcus Rashford will move up front.
84 min Antony takes out Mac Allister 35 yards from goal. That might have been a booking as well.
84 min “Even in this inflated market, I don’t see how Antony is a £90m player,” says Max Williams. “As a Palace fan, I wouldn’t have him over Wilf, Eze or Olise. He’s the most predictable ‘flair’ player I’ve ever seen.”
There isn’t time to go into this in any depth, but put simply, you would pay £90m for peak Arjen Robben, right? That’s the potential that Ten Hag sees in Antony. I’m not sure he’ll ever reach that level, but Ten Hag knows embarrassingly more about football than me, so I’m inclined to reserve judgement.
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83 min: Good save from de Gea! March runs across the line of the area and hits a low shot through the crowd that is excellently saved by de Gea. He saw it late but got down smartly to his left to push it away and then beat Gross to the rebound.
82 min Brighton are coming back into the game. Caicedo tries to play a one-two with Undav and goes down after a challenge from Casemiro, who bas been booked. The referee doesn’t give a free-kick, and we haven’t seen a replay so I’ve no idea whether it was the correct decision.
80 min Martial robs Webster, who pulls him back and again avoids a yellow card. That’s the second time Webster might have been booked, arguably the third.
79 min Rashford, who has played like his 2021-22 self, goes down after a challenge from Veltman and is disgusted when the referee gives nothing.
78 min Caicedo is holding his ankle, having twisted awkwardly while challenging Dalot. I think he’s okay to continue.
77 min Had you asked me this morning, I would have wagered my last pennies that this game wouldn’t be goalless after 77 minutes.
76 min Fernandes’s deflected cross is well claimed by Sanchez above the head of Martial. The attack started when Casemiro won the ball off Mitoma in a dangerous area.
75 min: Brighton substitution Undav replaces Welbeck, who is able to walk off the field. It looks like a knock rather than anything more worrying, and I suspect the substitution might have happened anyway.
74 min Welbeck launched into what he thought would be a shot, but Lindelof came on the blind side to intercept. Welbeck is still down, receiving treatment to his right knee, and Deniz Undav is about to come on.
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73 min Gross plays a cute disguised pass to Welbeck in the area. Lindelof steps across to make a good interception and is wiped out by Welbeck. I think Welbeck has hurt himself in the process.
71 min Webster deliberately trips Martial, another foul that might have led to a yellow card. Martial had a poor first half but has been much livelier in the second.
69 min This is United’s most dominant spell of the game, by a distance, and the last few minutes have taken place almost exclusively in the Brighton half.
66 min: Brighton substitution Joel Veltman replaces Julio Enciso, which means Pascal Gross will move forward from right-back and Alexis Mac Allister will become the No10.
66 min Fernandes slaps a nothing free-kick into the wall, then leathers the rebound over the bar.
65 min They’re still sorting out the walls – one for Brighton, another for United just in front.
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64 min Enciso pulls Rashford on the edge of the D and is also lucky to not be booked. Even so, this is a good chance for United…
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64 min Now it’s United who are having a good spell. Fernandes lobs a smart pass infield to Antony, whose low shot from the edge of the D is pushed away by the diving Sanchez. It wasn’t the cleanest strike from Antony.
63 min I’m surprised Estupinan wasn’t booked, having tried (and failed) to pull back Wan-Bissaka a couple of minutes ago.
62 min: Man Utd substitution Fred replaces Christian Eriksen.
61 min Wan-Bissaka beats Estupinan beautifully on the right and cuts the ball back to Antony in the area. He tries to find Casemiro, which leads to a helluva scramble before Brighton eventually clear.
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60 min March goes outside Dalot in the area and sprays a rising cross-shot that is pushed away by the leaping de Gea. Was that a shot? If so it wasn’t a great one, in truth, as a low cross was the better option.
59 min: Chance for United! Fernandes robs Estupinan 35 yards from goal and gives the ball to Antony. He runs to the edge of the area, with Fernandes in a great position on his outside. But you know what Antony is going to do in that position, and he obliges with a tame low shot that is easily saved by Sanchez. Fernandes would have been in on goal with a simple reverse pass.
58 min I thought Fred would start; he’s about to come on now. A number of United players look tired and/or half-fit: Casemiro, Eriksen, Rashford, Martial.
58 min: Great chance for Brighton! Gross swings the resulting corner to the far post, where Welbeck gets between Martial and Shaw but heads over from six yards! Oof, that was the best chance of the game.
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56 min: Good save by de Gea! They’ve tested him now! A deep corner from the right was headed towards goal by Webster and nodded clear by Casemiro in the six-yard box. Mitoma had a shot blocked and then Enciso hit a sizzling left-foot drive from the edge of the area. De Gea leapt to his right to push it over, a fine reaction save.
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55 min Mitoma tries to twist outside Wan-Bissaka, who stands up and wins the ball. He’s defended well.
53 min It’s all Brighton at the moment. They still haven’t really tested David de Gea, though, with just one free-kick from Alexis Mac Allister that he had to save. Evan Ferguson must be so frustrated watching this.
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52 min Dalot’s poor pass is nicked by Caicedo. Shaw pulls him back and is booked.
In a midfield battle full of stars, Caicedo has probably been the best player so far.
52 min United’s front three – Martial, Rashford, Antony – have been less MRA, more MIA, though that’s mainly because Brighton won’t give United the ball.
50 min The corner is headed down by Dunk towards Estupinan on the edge of the area. He runs away from Eriksen but then shoots high and wide from a tight angle.
49 min March goes on the outside of Dalot and wins a corner. Brighton have made a fast start to the second half.
49 min “Lewis Dunk is a remarkable player,” says Kári Tulinius, “a one-club man who’s been a defensive stalwart from the start of Chris Hughton’s time as Brighton manager, and stayed at the heart of the Seagulls’ defence through the radical changes wrought by Potter and de Zerbi.”
48 min A dodgy pass from Casemiro in his own area is intercepted by March, but United have enough bodies to crowd him out.
47 min Casemiro releases Antony in the inside-right channel. He goes on the outside of Dunk, into the area, before sliding a slightly tame low cross that is cleared by Webster at the far post.
46 min Peep peep! Bruno Fernandes gets the game under way, with no changes on either side.
“Good morning Rob, good morning everybody,” says Adam Roberts. “‘And Smith Must Score’ has always been highly unfair on Gary Bailey. I watched that final in one of the unlamented crescents in Hulme. A beautiful goal from Wilkins in a season where he took so much stick from the OT crowd. And I saw the great Raymondo between the final and the replay in St Anne’s Square and thought I would leave him be when out with his family.
“As for today, so far just a relief to see United competing after Thursday’s debacle; Casemiro looking his usual self after his worst performance in red; and I’ve been saying for a year and a half that Maguire unsettles the whole defence - what a relief he is suspended.”
Half-time reading
Half time: Brighton 0-0 Man Utd
An intriguing half ends goalless. Brighton were the more fluent side throughout but United came closest to scoring at the end of the half. See you in 15 minutes!
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45+2 min: Chance for Eriksen! United are ending the half very strongly. Eriksen waves a lovely crossfield pass out to Rashford on the left. Rashford moves into the area and slides a low cross that misses everyone in the middle and rolls towards Eriksen, backing up the play at the far post. Eriksen throttles a low drive from the edge of the area that is straight at Sanchez, who kicks it away.
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45+1 min: Chance for Martial! Brighton get in trouble trying to play the ball out, with Fernandes robbing Caicedo on the edge of the centre circle. The ball runs through to Martial, 35 yards from goal and with Sanchez in no man’s land, but he drives a flat chip over the bar with his left foot. That looked a really good chance.
45 min Three minutes of added time.
44 min: Just wide from Fernandes! Out of nothing, a chance for United. Sanchez’s pass out of defence was well read by Casemiro, who played a one-two with Eriksen and then cushioned a first-time pass through to Fernandes in the area. His low drive across goal beat Sanchez, who didn’t dive, and rolled just wide of the far post.
44 min “To those critics of the ankle-turning pitch today, let’s remember that Erling Haaland and City played here just 24 hours ago,” says Justin Kavanagh. “So just as Chelsea played Leeds in 1970 soon after the Horse of the Year show, these teams are doing likewise in the wake of yesterday’s Norse of the Year exhibition.”
42 min The first part of the game was fairly even, but Brighton are dominating now, albeit without creating any clear chances.
41 min Eriksen’s deep corner is headed away by Estupinan. Brighton break promisingly but Mitoma’s pass is too heavy for March.
41 min A rare foray forward from Dalot, who has been too busy defending, leads to a United corner on the left…
39 min It’s getting a bit niggly now, mainly on United’s side. Fernandes goes down after being accidentally caught in the face by Estupinan, but the referee thinks he’s crying wolf and waves play on.
38 min Martial nicks the ball off Webster and is fouled. United are fuming that the referee hasn’t booked Webster. Even Erik ten Hag, who is usually fairly calm on the touchline, is giving the fourth official a mouthful.
38 min “With ankles being turned left and right,” says Peter Oh. “I wonder if the magic (spray) of the FA Cup is on show.”
37 min Casemiro is booked for am impatient tackle from behind on Mac Allister. United’s players dispute the decision but they don’t have a case.
36 min Okay, it hasn’t been the classic we hoped for, at least not yet, but it’s a really absorbing game.
35 min March and Fernandes are still on the field, which is good news for their respective clubs. I mean what a stupidly obvious thing to say.
34 min “Yes, the Sharp/Man Utd shirts were things of beauty,” says Paul In Murcia. “The longest shirt sponsors and I think that record still stands.”
For reasons I can’t explain, SHARP ELECTRONICS (1982-83) looks even better than plain old SHARP (1983-2000). The SHARP kits were still classics; well, most of them.
32 min: Half-chance for Brighton! Mitoma is looking dangerous now. He surges infield, away from Lindelof, and is about to shoot from the edge of the D when Wan-Bissaka makes a very good sliding tackle. The ball runs across to Enciso, who rifles a drive wide of the right-hand post.
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30 min Estupinan releases Mitoma on the left of the area with a lovely pass. His cutback from the byline is calmly cleared by Dalot and United break thorugh Fernandes. He’s fouled by Gross, who is maybe fortunate to not be booked.
29 min Gross curls the corner towards the penalty spot, where Shaw muscles his way in front of Dunk to head clear. Good defending.
29 min March – who still isn’t moving perfectly – wins a corner off Dalot. The attack was started by a raking crossfield pass from Mac Allister.
28 min If necessary, this game will go extra-time and penalties.
27 min The injuries have halted the momentum of the game, at least for now. Brighton are still slightly the better side, though there’s very little in it.
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26 min And now Rashford is down, having worn Gross’s elbow in the ribs. He’s fine.
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25 min Fernandes is going to continue, though he also isn’t moving brilliantly. He hasn’t missed a game through injury in his entire career, according to Transfermarkt, so it’ll be weird if he goes off.
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23 min Now Bruno Fernandes is down, and he’s not crying wolf. Like March, he got his right ankle stuck in the turf. It doesn’t reflect well on the pitch when that happens twice in five minutes.
21 min This doesn’t look good for March. His ankle got stuck as he was challenged by Dalot, so for a split-second his weight was going in a ligament-busting direction. He’s going to continue but he’s not moving freely.
19 min Solly March, who has started the game superbly, is down after getting his right ankle stuck in the turf.
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18 min “I’m one of those guys,” says Joe Pearson. “I love that both teams are wearing their first-choice kits!”
It could only have been better had then both been allowed to wear 1983 kits for the day. Both were things of beauty: here’s Brighton’s, and here’s United’s, though it looks better with the SHARP ELECTRONICS logo.
17 min This is heating up nicely. Antony wanders infield and then sweeps a pass back outside to Fernandes in the area. His flicked shot from 12 yards is really well blocked by Dunk.
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17 min March and Gross are causing United problems on that side of the field.
16 min Gross gets to the byline in the area and pulls the ball back dangerously. Welbeck can’t get a proper touch at the near post – that was a chance – and then Mitoma slices wide on the turn.
14 min: Good save from Sanchez. Eriksen plays a nice early pass to Fernandes, unmarked just outside the area. He turns and smacks an impatient curler across that is pushed away by Sanchez. On reflection, it was a pretty comfortable save.
13 min A half chance for Enciso. March played a good ball round the corner to Gross, who angled it back to Enciso just inside the area. He flipped the ball up but then poked a volley well wide of the far post.
12 min Brighton are playing some really nice stuff, and Casemiro had already had to put out two or three fires.
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11 min There’s a brief appeal for a penalty when the ball hits Dalot’s shoulder in the United area. Nothing doing.
9 min Nothing comes of the corner. De Gea then almost puts Rashford through on goal with a deliberate long pass, but the ball runs away from him and Sanchez comes to the edge of his area to claim.
7 mi Mac Allister’s free-kick is pawed round the post by de Gea, leaping to his left. He didn’t get the cleanest touch – he may have lost it in the sun – and almost pushed it into his own net.
6 min Mitoma cuts inside from the left and is fouled clumsily by Antony, right on the edge of the area. This is a chance for Brighton, with Mac Allister over the ball.
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4 min Brighton’s attacking shape is fascinating. As I type, they effectively have a midfield box of Mac Allister and Caicedo, then Enciso and Welbeck, with Mitoma and March closest to the United goal. It’s a fat Y-shape, essentially.
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3 min Casemiro finds Rashford in space on the left. He runs at the backpedalling Gross, all to the way to the edge of the area, but then his pass towards Martial is cut out by Webster.
3 min “Watching on my wife’s phone on the train back from a family holiday in Switzerland,” says Jonathan Harding. “Was there for the last semifinal. Can’t believe we’re back. I remember Walsall away. We have indeed come a long, long way. Hoping for a special day but already so proud to be a Seagull. These are magical days!”
2 min United are playing 4-1-2-3 rather than 4-2-1-3, with Eriksen pushing up against Moises Caicedo. It’ll be Fernandes v Mac Allister and Casemiro v Enciso.
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1 min Peep peep! Danny Welbeck gets the game under way.
“Genuinely neutral here and hoping for a classic,” says Simon McMahon. “Much to admire about both teams and managers, though I think the only way this Brighton team could endear itself to neutrals any further is if they were to sign a 56-year-old former Japan international who then comes off the bench to score the winner in the cup final…
The atmosphere at Wembley – and we can’t always say this – is tremendous. This could/should/will be a cracker.
Kick-off is imminent, so let’s have a reminder of the teams.
Brighton (4-2-4) Sanchez; Gross. Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mac Allister; March, Welbeck, Enciso, Mitoma.
Substitutes: Steele, Colwill, Undav, Ayari, Gilmour, Van Hecke, Veltman, Buonanotte, Offiah.
Man Utd (possible 4-2-1-3) De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen; Fernandes; Antony, Martial, Rashford.
Substitutes: Butland, Malacia, Williams, Fred, Pellistri, Sabitzer, Elanga, Sancho, Weghorst.
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“Afternoon Rob!” says Rob Wolf Petersen. “Don’t have anything profound to say. Just wanted to say hi from a sports bar in Canggu, Bali. Managed to meet another Seagulls fan and couldn’t be more excited for the game! UTA!”
I can’t remember a more mouthwatering FA Cup semi-final in the last 15-20 years. Surely this can’t be dull.
Taking in our surroundings... 📸 pic.twitter.com/LGYfQ0zhGF
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 23, 2023
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“I used to think ‘and Smith must score’ was a bit harsh,” says Niall Mullen, “that it wasn’t that easy a chance. But, watching it again recently, he really should’ve scored.”
I don’t think it’s that bad – it’s not like he launched it towards Enfield. It’s the context that makes it so famous I guess. Also, of course, we didn’t have xG in 1983. Looking back, they were chilling times.
This is a cracking piece on how Tony Bloom’s gambler’s instinct made Brighton the pride of an entire town.
If the phrases “And Smith must score…” and “And Wilkins has curled one” mean nothing to you, you’re in for a treat: the story of an FA Cup final, 40 years ago, that was memorable for all kinds of reasons. It’s the only time Brighton have played in an FA Cup final. Yet.
“I might mention that, while both have some injured players, only one of these clubs played a European knockout game midweek away from home, but quite honestly I’m much too stunned by Anthony ‘Rock Solid’ Martial’s two-game starting streak,” says Duncan Edwards. “Agree with you about Fred. Hopefully I’ll soon be eating humble pie served by the Frenchman and Eriksen! Good luck to both teams.”
It’s four starts in a row for Martial, isn’t it? He’s yet to play 90 minutes this season though.
“Can you help a confused Seagulls fan understand this emotion?” says John Roach. “We’re in the FA Cup semi-final, we’re playing Man Utd and we’re favourites to win! (Not forgetting we have a teenager making his first start!!) I think the mix of anticipation and excitement is making me dizzy. Is this normal?”
Nothing about it is normal, which is why it’s so beautiful.
Premier League results
Bournemouth 0-4 West Ham
Newcastle 6-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Yep, and Newcastle were 5-0 up after 21 minutes.
Manchester United have had an – excuse me – damn fine season. And yet, one of the words Erik ten Hag has used most often is ‘unacceptable’
It’s 14 years since a teenage Danny Welbeck started an FA Cup semi-final for Manchester United against Everton. With Evan Ferguson injured, he starts up front today. He remains a fine player and an even better bloke, as evidenced in this lovely interview.
Team news
Roberto De Zerbi has picked a very attacking Brighton side, with Pascal Gross at right-back. It’s the team that played most most of the second half at Stamford Bridge last week, with Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso – who came off the bench to score the goals at Chelsea – in for the injured Evan Ferguson and Joel Veltman.
Veltman, who went off at Chelsea with a hamstring problem, is on the bench today. So is Jason Steele, who had been the first-choice goalkeeper until he missed last weekend’s game through injury. Robert Sanchez’s inclusion might just be an FA Cup thing; we’ll find out on Wednesday. Oh, and Enciso is making his first start for the club in either an FA Cup or Premier League game.
Erik ten Hag makes three changes from that fiasco in Seville. Luke Shaw replaces the suspended Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford is in for the disappointing Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes replaces Marcel Sabitzer. I thought Fred might play alongside Casemiro to disrupt Brighton’s passing carousel.
Brighton (4-2-1-3) Sanchez; Gross. Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mac Allister; Enciso; March, Welbeck, Mitoma.
Substitutes: Steele, Colwill, Undav, Ayari, Gilmour, Van Hecke, Veltman, Buonanotte, Offiah.
Man Utd (possible 4-2-1-3) De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen; Fernandes; Antony, Martial, Rashford.
Substitutes: Butland, Malacia, Williams, Fred, Pellistri, Sabitzer, Elanga, Sancho, Weghorst.
Updated
Preamble
Hello. It would be wrong to say that most FA Cup semi-finals are anti-climaxes, because that suggests an expectation of excitement in the first place. When a have meets a have-not at this stage of any competition, it generally goes only one way; the way it went at Wembley yesterday. The writer Dion Fanning puts it more succinctly: semi-finals are where fairytales go to die.
It gives me the greatest pleasure to tell you that today’s match between Brighton and Manchester United is different. It’s a have vs a have-not, yes, but many people – including the bookmakers, and I have no idea when this last happened - have the have-not as favourite. Confused? Splendid. Now all I need are the three digits on the back of the card.
Brighton have been one of the teams of this or any other season, and nobody outside Crystal Palace has a bad word to say about them. Their style of football is unique – intrepid and progressive in more ways than one, with a group of players who cost pennies and will be sold for the earth. Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo and the rest put the ‘ballers’ in ‘Moneyballers’.
This would be a serious test for a full-strength Manchester United, never mind one that is missing three centre-halves and has just been embarrassed in Seville. They have bounced back well this season, following each of their last six defeats (mostly pastings) with victory in the next game. Erik ten Hag will be desperate for them to do so again, not least because it would give United a chance to stop Manchester City doing the Treble.
City hang over this game in a couple of ways. Four years ago, in a former life under Chris Hughton, Brighton reached the semi-finals and lost 1-0 to Pep Guardiola’s team. It was a dignified defeat, but also a meek one.
Whatever happens today, we can say one thing with utter certainty: this Brighton team won’t die wondering.
Kick off 4.30pm.
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