Amad Diallo scored a 116th minute winner to give Manchester United a 4-3 victory against bitter rivals Liverpool in a FA Cup classic at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils started well, with Scott McTominay giving the home side the lead after ten minutes, but visitors Liverpool grew into the game and pounced twice in two minutes before half time to go into the break in front, and continued to dominate in the second half without turning control into further goals.
Substitute Antony levelled the tie with eight minutes to go against the run of play, with Marcus Rashford spurning a further chance to win it in normal time. Liverpool thought they had won it through Harvey Elliott’s strike in the first half of extra time, but goals from Rashford and a last-minute strike from Amad Diallo sent the stadium into bedlam as Erik ten Hag’s side secured a famous cup victory.
Here are the key Manchester United takeaways from a modern day cup thriller.
Diallo The Hero As Manchester United Steal Cup Classic
AFTER OVER 120 MINUTES OF BREATHLESS FOOTBALL…
WE'RE THE FAMOUS MAN UTD AND WE'RE GOING TO WEMBLEY!!! 🏟️#MUFC || #FACup pic.twitter.com/zuA3cPy10u
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 17, 2024
‘Football, Bloody Hell’
The famous quote from Sir Alex Ferguson after that night in Barcelona 25 years ago. This was a game that often lacked rhyme or reason, with both teams, especially United, abandoning any sense of structure in a furious, breathless game of football, particularly the thirty minutes of extra time. Sometimes, form and convention just fly out of the window in a cup game, much like the form book.
Kobbie Mainoo: Wonderkid.
The 18-year-old went off towards the end of normal time to a standing ovation, and for good reason. There are quite a few Manchester United players who routinely lack composure and decision-making in big, hotly contested encounters such as today, but the young Mancunian proved once again to be the calmest man in the M16 postcode.
Indeed, the stats back up the eye test, with the precociously talented midfielder having completed 100% of his dribbles and tackles and won 75% of his ground duels in an all-encompassing display in the middle of the park.
The Triumphant Return of Aaron Wan-Bissaka
The injury-hit full back had not played since the turn of the year before today, but delivered a masterful performance at left-back, keeping danger man Mohamed Salah quiet for the vast majority of the game despite the Egyptian’s goal just before half-time. Furthermore, his return allowed Victor Lindelof to go back to his more natural centre-back position, where the Swede looked much more at ease than in recent weeks playing on the left flank.
Holes in Midfield Once Players Tire
The first half an hour of the game was as good a performance as Old Trafford has seen this season, with the home side full of energy and committed to pressing high up the pitch.
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With that being said, the forward players began to tire midway through the first half and this saw a fatigued press allow Liverpool to play out of the back with much more ease, giving way to all too familiar open spaces in the United midfield and allowing Jurgen Klopp’s side to establish control of the game, with the likes of Alexis Macallister and Dominik Szoboszlai given licence to cause problems.
Diogo Dalot’s Continued Excellence
The Portuguese right-back delivered yet another commanding display at right-back, largely neutralising in-form Colombian winger Luis Diaz. Dalot has been excellent all season for the Red Devils; at only 24 years old, he has plenty of years left to potentially develop into one of the world’s best full-backs if he continues the upward trend.
Scott McTominay: Agent of Cup Chaos
There is no telling how good the Scot could be if he could only pass the ball. Scorer of the opening goal with a trademark burst into the box, McTominay is a huge attacking asset for the Red Devils, thriving in chaos to which his athleticism lends itself.
On the other hand, the midfielder lacks technical ability, a deficiency which is especially evident playing alongside the polished, cultured Mainoo. There is a Jekyll and Hyde aspect to the academy product’s play that means that his long term future at United is probably as an impact sub at best if Ten Hag has designs on challenging higher up the table with the elite teams of the league.
Savour it: A Win Against The Rivals And A Semi-Final Awaits
Extra time winner against your bitter rivals? It doesn’t, and it won’t get much better than that for the Red Devils. Into the semi-finals of the FA Cup they move, with a date at Wembley against Championship outfit Coventry City to come.
The team must use this adrenaline-packed, momentum-building victory as a springboard to finish the season strongly and challenge for Champions League spots, as well as giving the football’s oldest cup competition a good go. There is still a scenario where this is a successful season, but the team must keep moving forward.
