And Victor Lindelöf must score. And he does score. At the end of 120 nerve‑shredding minutes and seven rounds into the penalties, it came down to the Manchester United central defender versus Robert Sánchez, the Brighton goalkeeper.
The shadow of the 1983 FA Cup final had loomed large over this semi‑final; it was when Gordon Smith simply had to score for Brighton in the final minute of extra-time only he did not do so, allowing United to survive and win the replay. Now Lindelöf, who had enjoyed a fine game, a key component of an excellent United defensive effort, took his opportunity, steering his kick high into the net to set up a date with Manchester City in the final.
Brighton were broken, nobody more so than Solly March who had blasted the previous kick over the crossbar – the only miss of a shootout in which Jadon Sancho, on as a substitute, and Marcus Rashford scored for United. Both had missed here for England in the Euro 2020 final shootout defeat against Italy. The sheer bottle that each of them showed to slow as they reached the spot before firing home was extraordinary.
March was reduced to tears. The winger, a symbol of his club, did not deserve this. Not given how he had played here or how he has played throughout the best season of his career. None of the Brighton players deserved this after they had gone toe-to-toe with United throughout a gripping showpiece.
Their regrets took in a gilt-edged Danny Welbeck miss against his old club on 57 minutes and how Sánchez got his fingertips to the substitute Marcel Sabitzer’s penalty in the fifth round of the shootout; he could only help it in. That and their failure to beat David de Gea over the 120 minutes. The United goalkeeper made a clutch of fine saves – the best to deny Julio Enciso just before Welbeck’s moment.
March was handed the ball for his penalty by another United replacement, Wout Weghorst, who had just scored. Admit it, you thought he would miss. Weghorst kissed the ball so perhaps he put some sort of curse on it. In the meantime De Gea appeared to run his studs over the spot. When Lindelöf scored, Weghorst tore off alone to knee‑slide in front of the delirious United support.
Brighton’s wait for a major trophy will go on but United have kept alive their hopes of a domestic cup double, the Carabao Cup already in the cabinet. Erik ten Hag had been fuming after the Europa League quarter-final exit against Sevilla last Thursday. He and his team are back on track. It did not matter that the manager was without his starting centre-halves Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane, plus the suspended Harry Maguire. Lindelöf stepped up in the middle, ably supported by Luke Shaw.
It was one of the biggest games in Brighton’s history, only the third time they had reached a major semi-final after 1983 when they beat Sheffield Wednesday and 2019 when they lost against Manchester City, also in this competition. It was difficult for supporters above a certain age not to have 1983 in their thoughts and yet that was then and this was now, everything on the line, the tension close to unbearable.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team are a fascinating watch. The Brighton manager started with Enciso pushed high alongside Welbeck and yet both attackers were given the licence to drop off – to try to draw out United’s centre-halves. Alexis Mac Allister pressed from central midfield and there were the runs from Pascal Gross at right-back, inside or outside March on the flank.
It was fast and fluid, and it allowed Brighton to take charge at the outset. They created the spaces and controlled the ball and the tempo for much of the first half. The statistics would show that they finished the game with 60% of the possession. Ten Hag raged when Casemiro was booked on 36 minutes for going through the back of Mac Allister, taking the ball but leaving something on the man, and it was a metaphor for United’s struggle for control up to that point.
Mac Allister had worked De Gea with an early free-kick and Enciso shot off target; both chances followed darts off the left by the dangerous Kaoru Mitoma, whose battle with Aaron Wan-Bissaka was a classic. Wan-Bissaka played him very well. Bruno Fernandes extended Sánchez in the 15th minute after a Christian Eriksen pass.
For all of Brighton’s latent threat, it was United who went closest to taking a lead into half-time of normal time. Finally, they won a ball high up, Casemiro released Fernandes and he dragged wide of the far post – a presentable chance. Fernandes won possession again moments later after Lewis Dunk’s risky pass, leading to Anthony Martial failing to chip Sánchez from distance, and the goalkeeper saved from Eriksen after a Rashford cross.
Brighton might have led just before the hour and United were indebted to De Gea.
He worries supporters when he has the ball at his feet but not when opponents take aim at him. Enciso did so after Mitoma had seen an effort blocked, the connection true but De Gea threw out a hand to tip over. Brighton’s hopes surged from the corner when Welbeck rose unchallenged only to head off target. He had to score.
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Back came United, sparked by a swashbuckling Wan-Bissaka run but it was March who almost won it on 82 minutes, De Gea getting down and across to keep out his low shot.
The chances came and went in extra-time, the Brighton substitute Deniz Undav taking a heavy touch when well placed and March (twice) and Mitoma going close. Mitoma followed through into De Gea and was fortunate not to collect a second yellow card. For United, Rashford forced Sánchez into one brilliant save and banged another effort past the far post.
