Chelsea have been one of the hottest teams in the English top flight this part of the season, thanks to their collective efforts and the brilliance of their new ace, Cole Palmer. Ever since their win against Crystal Palace on February 4, the Blues never looked back, staying undefeated in the top flight as of the time of writing.
In doing so, Chelsea have brought themselves back into the fight for sixth place, while Cole Palmer propelled himself to the top of the Golden Boot race alongside Erling Haaland. However, they failed to translate their winning ways in the top flight into the FA Cup semifinal.
Even though Manchester City were the FA Cup 2024 odds favourites coming into their semifinal clash, it’s hard to prematurely count the Blues out. Both outfits fought tooth and nail all throughout the match, up until minute 84, that is.
What started out as a threatening KDB short cross ended up with a scrappy goal from Bernardo Silva with six minutes to go in the second half. This goal was enough for the FA Cup holders to fend off the Blues and return to the final.
This was the best-case scenario for Pep and the Sky Blues after their quarterfinal exit in the UEFA Champions League. Their back-to-back treble dreams were halted, but maybe a double could be in the works.
“We’ve done it throughout the years many times. The way this team reacts to disappointments and defeats is always in the best way. Today again, the team showed a lot of character,” semifinal hero Bernardo Silva stated after the match.
Manchester United vs Coventry was absolute cinema
On the other side of the fray, Championship side Coventry clashed horns with Ten Hag’s Red Devils. Coventry were hoping to stun the entire football world, finish their Cinderella run, and lift the FA Cup amidst the herculean effort of going against Premier League giants.
Unfortunately for Coventry and their fans, their promising run came to an end, courtesy of Manchester United.
The Red Devils virtually sealed their fate even before the halftime whistle was blown. The Old Trafford staple, Scott McTominay, gingerly tapped the ball into the net after Diogo Dalot, while mid-stride, delivered a slicing corner from the right wing.
Despite the early lead, Manchester United knew they weren’t out of the woods just yet, but Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time goal immediately shifted the odds immensely in their favour.
With the door seemingly already shut going into halftime, the Ten Hag and the Red Devils decided to keep the pressure on the Championship outfit as they continued to push the tempo with a Bruno Fernandes goal in Minute 58.
With their backs against the wall, Coventry suddenly came to life. Refusing to go down without a fight, Coventry’s Ellis Simms and Callum O’Hare blitzed rapid-fire goals in minutes 71 and 79, incredibly getting back into the match with just a one-goal deficit.
Panicked with a sense of urgency, the Red Devils parked the bus. Their complacency backfired as Coventry were able to convert their last Hail Mary into a penalty, which Haji Wright was more than happy to take.
The former Antalyaspor star calmly found the back of the net from the penalty to, against all odds, level the game 3-3 after being down 0-3 in minute 58, forcing extra time.
But it seemed like Coventry ran out of steam in the penalties. Despite their valiant efforts to survive and shock the entire football world with an upset win, Manchester United’s star-studded cast got it done, winning the penalty shootout 2-4.
What a game! A match for the ages filled with tons of FA Cup 2024 highlights.
It’s a 2023 final rematch
While Coventry and Manchester United might have had the match of the tournament, the 2024 iteration of the FA Cup final will be a rematch between the Sky Blues and the Red Devils.
Last year saw the first-ever All Manchester Cup final, which Manchester City won thanks to the heroics of İlkay Gündoğan, who played his magnum opus with a brace at Wembley. Their key 2-1 victory over United paved the way for Pep and his Sky Blues to pull off the rare treble.
But the Red Devils’ cinematic journey to reach back-to-back FA Cup finals, especially amidst their rollercoaster of a season in the Premier League might just be the X factor they need to win the FA Cup this season.
Another thing to consider is that despite City’s success against Chelsea in the semis, they are plagued with a tight schedule, which might have dire implications in the long run.
“It is unacceptable, really unacceptable. Coventry, United and Chelsea don’t play in the week and let us play today. Next week on Friday would have been better, instead of putting it on Saturday to have less recovery,” Pep exclaimed after their win against Chelsea.
“To go 120 minutes… All of you were football players. The emotion from Madrid, the way we lost and everything. I know in this country it’s (the FA Cup) is special for many things but it’s the health of the players.”
Unlike United, City are in a tight three-horse race to win the Premier League title, and with how City, Arsenal, and Liverpool are situated in the top-flight standings, to say that every game is crucial would be an understatement.
Nonetheless, the Sky Blues will have to lace their boots extra tight during the FA Cup final, as the Red Devils will surely have extra bouncy steps as they aim to avenge their loss in last year’s final.
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