Tag: FA Cup

Ten Hag: If Man United doesn’t want me, I’ll go win trophies somewhere else

The manager was in a defiant mood after leading Man United to the FA Cup title

After winning a FA Cup title one day after reports he would be sacked, Erik ten Hag was in a buoyant mood. It was hard to blame him.

Just hours after The Guardian reported that the Manchester United manager would be sacked regardless of whether he pulled off an FA Cup final upset, Ten Hag’s side did just that, stunning Manchester City 2-1 in Saturday’s clash at Wembley.

Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scored for the Red Devils, who stunned their arch-rivals in the final game of the season.

After the match, Ten Hag was defiant when confronted with the report that his time at the club was done.

“Two trophies in two seasons and three finals,” he said. “It’s not that bad. If they don’t want me, I’ll go somewhere else to win trophies, because that’s what I’ve done all throughout my career.”

Ten Hag led United to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, his first in charge of the team. This year, though, the Red Devils only managed to finish eighth.

But as the Dutch manager mentioned, he has been hugely successful in domestic cup competitions. United won the Carabao Cup last season, beating Newcastle in the final. The Red Devils also reached the FA Cup final in 2022-23, falling to Man City.

One season later though, United got its revenge against its biggest rival in the final.

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Manchester City vs. Manchester United: How to watch FA Cup final, live stream

The cup final will be a Manchester derby for the second straight year

It will be a Manchester derby in the FA Cup final, as City looks to complete a double and United looks to salvage another disappointing season.

It is a rematch of last season’s FA Cup final, which City won en route to clinching a treble.

City clinched the Premier League title yet again last weekend, while United only managed an eight-place finish.

United will need to win the match to qualify for the Europa League next season, or else there will be no European soccer at Old Trafford in 2024-25.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the FA Cup on ESPN+” link=”https://go.web.plus.espn.com/Y9KaQm”]

United will go into Saturday’s match at Wembley as major underdogs, and also with the knowledge it appears likely to be Erik ten Hag’s last game in charge — regardless of the result.

The Guardian reported on Friday that the Dutch manager will be sacked following the game, after two underwhelming years at the helm.

City will enter the match with a mostly clean bill of health, though Stefan Ortega is set to start at goalkeeper with Ederson injured. United will be missing Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire while Mason Mount, Victor Lindelöf and Anthony Martial will be late calls.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Manchester City vs. Manchester United (FA Cup final)

  • When: Saturday, May 25
  • Where: Wembley Stadium (London)
  • Time: 10 a.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN+ (WATCH NOW)

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Coventry City vs. Manchester United: How to watch FA Cup, live stream

It’s a true David vs. Goliath as Man United faces Coventry City in an FA Cup semifinal at Wembley

Coventry City faces Manchester United in a FA Cup semifinal at Wembley Stadium that just so happens to be a classic David vs. Goliath contest.

The pressure is on Erik ten Hag’s side. For one thing, United should be overwhelming favorites to advance to the final simply by being a big-spending Premier League club lined up against Championship opposition.

There’s also the reality of life at Old Trafford this season. Erratic results have left the Red Devils with little hope of qualifying for European competition via the Premier League. It’s FA Cup or bust, in other words.

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Coventry, meanwhile, will be getting the support from neutrals everywhere. The Sky Blues — aided this year by U.S. men’s national team striker Haji Wright and his 17 goals — sit eighth in the Championship, and Sunday’s clash will be the biggest game for the club since a heartbreaking defeat on penalties in last year’s promotion playoffs.

Scott McTominay and Antony are expected to be fit for United after recent injury battles, while the status of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans is still up in the air.

The winner of this match will face either Manchester City or Chelsea in the final on May 25.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Coventry City vs. Manchester United (FA Cup semifinal)

  • When: Sunday, April 21
  • Where: Wembley Stadium (London)
  • Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN+ (WATCH NOW)

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Wright wants to make Man Utd ‘feel the pressure’ in FA Cup semifinal

The USMNT striker is hoping to capitalize in Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal

Haji Wright knows his Coventry City side will be major underdogs in Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal against Manchester United, but said that “anything can happen” in one game.

Coventry will travel to Wembley Stadium as it looks to keep a Cinderella run going in the cup competition.

Already, Coventry has produced a memorable upset by defeating Wolves 3-2 in a wild quarterfinal last month.

The Championship side was down a goal late, but knocked out the Premier League outfit with a pair of stoppage-time goals. U.S. national team striker Wright scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner to send his side to Wembley.

Now Coventry finds itself in the final four among a group of Premier League giants. Chelsea will face Manchester City in the other semifinal on Saturday, meaning Wright’s side would need two straight huge upsets to lift the FA Cup.

Though the odds are stacked against his team, Wright said he is hopeful that Coventry can put a struggling United side under pressure.

“It’s one game, it can go in either direction,” Wright told ESPN. “They’re a big club, have a lot of great players but I think we are going to get opportunities. Hopefully, we can make them feel the pressure a little bit. Anything can happen in one game.”

United is winless in four straight matches, dropping to seventh in the Premier League table. The pressure will be huge on the Red Devils as they look to avoid a demoralizing upset against lower-league opposition on a big stage.

Wright, meanwhile, has hit the ground running in England after joining Coventry from Turkish side Antalyaspor in the offseason, scoring 17 goals so far this term.

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FA Cup replays have been scrapped, and lower-league teams are furious

The move was branded “disgraceful” by at least one club

The Football Association has announced that from next season on, there will no longer be FA Cup replays.

In the competition’s current format, any matches that end tied after 90 minutes result in another match being played at the home of the visiting team. Replays currently take place up until the fifth round — aka the round of 16.

But that will all change next season, a move the FA said was designed to help ease fixture congestion.

While the move may be welcomed by Premier League sides taking part in multiple competitions, it was viewed very differently by lower-division teams who often count on replays as a vital source of extra revenue.

English Football League (EFL) chief executive Trevor Birch immediately hit out at the move, saying he was blindsided by the decision and that his clubs would seek compensation.

“This represents another traditional revenue stream for EFL clubs at a time when the financial gap between the biggest clubs and those further down the pyramid is growing bigger than ever,” said Birch, who represents teams in the Championship, League One and League Two.

“We will now be discussing the implications for EFL clubs and seeking appropriate compensation arrangements.”

Other entities were even less diplomatic. Take League Two side Tranmere Rovers, for example.

“Tranmere Rovers condemn the disgraceful decision taken by The FA and the Premier League to change the format of the FA Cup, including the scrapping of replays,” the club said in a statement.

“The decision, and the way it was taken, demonstrate a total lack of respect for the football pyramid and its fans. Football belongs to all of us and decisions should not be taken in back room deals in which only the very wealthiest clubs are allowed to participate.”

Andy Holt, chairman of League Two club Accrington Stanley, added: “Why would the hapless FA scrap early-round replays that can be lucrative to minnows?”

In addition to the end of replays, the FA also announced that all rounds of the FA Cup will now be played on weekends, and that the fourth round, fifth round, and the quarterfinals all will be exclusive of Premier League fixtures for the first time.

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Last-gasp Wright winner sends Coventry to FA Cup semis at Wembley

Coventry City stunned Wolves in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday to secure a trip to the semifinal round at the iconic Wembley Stadium. And U.S. men’s national team forward Haji Wright’s last-second dagger was the knockout blow. Fresh off his …

Coventry City stunned Wolves in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday to secure a trip to the semifinal round at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

And U.S. men’s national team forward Haji Wright’s last-second dagger was the knockout blow.

Fresh off his omission from USMNT Nations League roster, the striker continued his strong campaign with a 100th-minute winner.

An all-time classic for Coventry unfolded on Saturday at Molineux. The Championship side led 2-1 in the 83rd minute before Premier League outfit Wolves equalized and then took the lead in a five-minute span.

But Ellis Simms equalized for Coventry at the 97′ mark, and was followed up by Wright three minutes later. The 25-year-old unleashed a curling effort that found the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations.

As the first quarterfinal match to take place over the weekend, Coventry have some waiting to do to see who they face in the next round. Plenty of time for both USMNT and Coventry supporters to take in and celebrate his heroic effort.

Reaction from both sets of fans can be found below:

Man City makes it a double, claiming FA Cup as Gundogan brace sinks Man United

Man City lifted the FA Cup, but their work in 2023 isn’t quite done

Manchester City’s pursuit of a treble is on.

The blue half of Manchester got the party they wanted at Wembley, as Man City defeated Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Finals are often tetchy and cautious, but Man City had no interest in any of that. With space and time outside the box, İlkay Gündoğan fired his side into the lead after just 13 seconds, a new FA Cup record.

Man City went hunting for a second, but were stunned after VAR caught Jack Grealish handling the ball while jumping. A lengthy check ended with Bruno Fernandes standing over a penalty, with the Man United captain equalizing with ease in the 33rd minute.

Celebrations of that goal were marred by a fan throwing an object that struck Victor Lindelof in the head. Fortunately, Lindelof was able to carry on, only leaving the game late on as part of an apparent tactical change from Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils had done well to recover from the stunning opener, but had much more trouble getting back on their feet after a deflating second from Gündoğan.

Again, the Germany midfielder struck on the half-volley from outside the box, but this time his contact was far less clean. However, David de Gea appeared to not see the ball’s trajectory until it was nearly over the line, and the bouncing shot skipped past him to give Man City a 52nd minute lead.

It wasn’t long after that Gündoğan tapped home what would have been the first FA Cup hat trick since 1953 only for the offside flag to come up, denying his tap-in after a series of Man City shots kept resulting in friendly rebounds.

Man United offered a sporadic threat on the counter, with Alejandro Garnacho blazing inches wide moments after Gündoğan’s goal was chalked off.

They never got closer than the early seconds of stoppage time, where a desperate ball into the box somehow fell right to Scott McTominay. What followed was a wild sequence including a poor touch, Stefan Ortega deflecting a point-blank Raphaël Varane shot onto the crossbar, and McTominay’s follow-up being helped over the bar.

Man City held on, giving them a domestic double, and it keeps Pep Guardiola’s side on course for a potential three-trophy haul. That will come down to the result of the Champions League final next Saturday, where Man City will face Inter in Istanbul.

“We are in a position we will probably never be in again,” Guardiola told reporters after the match, adding to BBC One that “we can now talk about the treble… Tomorrow and the next day they can have off. We’ve then got three or four sessions to train for Inter Milan. We’ll travel on Thursday morning after training.”

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