Solly March misses as Brighton lose FA Cup semi-final on penalties to Manchester United
By Jason Burt at Wembley
For Brighton it proved to be the kiss of death. For United it was the moment of pure gamesmanship that showed the mental toughness that Erik ten Hag is now demanding from them.
Three days after crashing out of the Europa League with a simply appalling, shambolic performance away to Sevilla they bounced back to make it the first all-Manchester FA Cup Final in the 151-year history of this grand competition.
Not just that but it may well be United’s chance to deny Manchester City the opportunity to emulate their incredible Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup Treble from 1998-99. Roll on the final on June 3. Rarely will one be so eagerly anticipated.
But first this semi-final which unfolded as a tight encounter dominated by the slick box-to—box football from Brighton that really should have seen them rather than United prevail.
Their approach play certainly deserved it. If only they could finish - and that was summed up deep into extra-time when Alexis MacAllister and Kaoru Mitoma tried to walk the ball into the net after yet again cutting United open. Before that an appalling first touch by substitute Deniz Undav had wasted another glorious opportunity.
They missed their injured 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson although beyond De Gea and Aaron Wan-Bissaka the best performers were all in blue and white. Not that it provided any comfort as Brighton still search for that first major trophy.
Instead United dug deep and it went to a penalty shoot-out and although David De Gea did not lay a glove on any of Brighton’s seven penalties he fully played his part with his presence as Solly March skied his kick high over the crossbar.
It was the only miss with De Gea’s redemption arc, after his horror show in Spain when he gifted two goals in the quarter-final second leg, almost as wide as the Wembley arch as he also made six saves – three of them outstanding – to deny Brighton in the intense 120 minutes that preceded it.
There were mind games too in another sign, perhaps, that Ten Hag is slowly developing a new-found resilience to United who bounced back to prevent questions being raised over their manager and the rate of progress being made under him – as undoubtedly they would be – had they exited a cup competition for the second time within 72 hours.
Maybe some of the under-fire United players, not least De Gea, even did enough to help salvage their careers at the club.
Prior to Ten Hag, and with him at times, they have looked so fragile and flaky and lacking in belief. But here they just hung on in there and made themselves hard to beat. And those mind games? Firstly, De Gea made Brighton’s penalty takers wait as he crouched by the side of the pitch appearing to study a list by his towel before slowly strolling to the goal. At the very least it wasted time.
Even more crucial, perhaps, was the cynical – or was it simply canny? - part played by substitute Wout Weghorst who was allowed to grab the ball after calmly converting his spot-kick before eventually handing it over to March.
Weghorst pressed the ball to his lips before saying something to the Brighton forward and referee Craig Pawson should clearly not have allowed it.
Did this put March off? Maybe not but it looked telling and proved to be as it was the only kick before which Weghorst, with the 30-year-old striker showing all of his experience, got to the ball ahead of Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez so he could hand it over to an opponent. Pawson realised what was happening too late to intervene.
It is highly unlikely that Weghorst will stay at United beyond his loan spell from Burnley and so this was arguably his greatest contribution since joining the club. The Dutchman will go down in United lore for it alone with the fans revelling in his cunning.
After March’s miss – even more tough on him as he had played so well - it appeared inevitable that United would then win with Victor Lindelof’s confident penalty confirming it.
And so they remain on course for an exceptionally successful season that could see them winning both domestic cup trophies, after their League Cup triumph, qualify for the Champions League… and maybe, deliciously for them, thwart City along the way.
In truth, though, they will have to play far better than this if they are to prevail as Ten Hag rightly acknowledged.
Remarkably United had lost seven of their last eight penalty shoot-outs before this one including, of course, the Europa League Final two years ago when De Gea missed from the spot. It was therefore not just the trauma of Seville that he exorcised but the ghost of Gdansk as United lost to Villarreal that night.
For United, their mentality monsters did not end there. Both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho scored with confidence from the penalty spot on their return to Wembley for a shoot-out for the first time since both missed for England in the final of Euro 2020.
Although the occasion was not on the same scale it still took cojones from both players, especially in front of the baying Brighton fans. However neither looked like erring.
Prior to that De Gea had made three fine saves. He turned away Alexis MacAllister’s curling free-kick and dived low to stop March’s shot. But the best save came when he tipped over a fierce, rising snap-shot from Julio Enciso. For all his failings with the ball at his feet, which may shorten his United career, Dave can make saves. Ultimately he did not have to in the shoot-out. But he – and Weghorst – showed their experience and nous and made sure United did enough.
Match details
Brighton: Sanchez; Gross, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mac Allister; Enciso (Veltman, 67); March, Welbeck (Undav, 75), Mitoma.
Substitutes: Steele, Colwill, Ayari, Gilmour, Van Hecke, Buonanotte, Offiah.
Booked Mitoma.
Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka (Malacia, 101), Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen (Fred, 62); Bruno Fernandes (Weghorst, 101); Antony (Sabitzer, 91), Martial (Sancho, 85), Rashford.
Substitutes: Butland, Williams, Pellistri, Elanga.
Booked Casemiro, Shaw, Lindelof.
Referee Craig Pawson (Sheffield).
Attendance 81,445
Brighton vs Man Utd: as it happened
07:41 PM
De Gea speaks
It was a very tight game. We played against a really good team.
We had prepared for penalties as always, I tried to put pressure on the takers. We took perfect penalties.
We are in another final, but we have another big game on Thursday [at Spurs] so now we have to go home for recovery and prepare again.
There is still a long way to go to the final. I am sure it is going to be a big game against one of the best teams in Europe, but we have shown already that we can beat them.
We already have one trophy, are in another final and going for the top four. Of course that is not enough, but it is a great step from last season. We keep improving. We have big games coming and have to be ready.
07:31 PM
Here's the winning penalty
07:29 PM
Manchester United grit their teeth and graft to victory
Manchester United's makeshift back four performed admirably and De Gea made some amends for Thursday. Ten Hag changed his tactics and parked his principles to embrace his keeper booting it long and not inviting trouble with his short passing. Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof did really well together. Brighton are still enjoying their best season and it may yet get better.
07:20 PM
We have our first Manchester derby FA Cup final
On June 3. Blimey. Thirteen excellent penalties and poor old Solly March's miss give United a chance of wrecking City's treble bid.
07:19 PM
Lindelof for United
Scores.
Top right.
6-7.
07:18 PM
March for Brighton
Blazes it over!
6-6. Advantage United.
07:17 PM
Weghorst for United
Scores. Takes it calmly and rolls it to the bottom right.
6-6.
07:17 PM
Webster for Brighton
Scores. Again rolls it to the right as De Gea flops the other way.
6-5
07:16 PM
Sabitzer for United
Scores. Sanchez got a hand to it but there was too much power. High and left of centre.
5-5
Sudden death.
07:15 PM
Dunk for Brighton
Scores. Centre right. Took some balls that. Short run.
5-4
07:14 PM
Rashford for United
Scores. Top left. Stuttering run. Well taken. Keeper guessed right.
4-4
07:13 PM
Estupinan for Brighton
Scores. Bottom right after sitting De Gea down.
4-3
07:13 PM
Sancho for United
Scores. Top left. Brilliantly cool pen.
3-3
07:12 PM
Undav for Brighton
Scores. Buries it bottom left.
3-2
07:11 PM
Dalot for Man Utd
Scored. Squeezed into bottom right. Sanchez goes the right way but plenty of power.
2-2
07:10 PM
Gross for Brighton
Scores. Short run up but lofts it into the top right. Great pen.
2-1
07:10 PM
Casemiro for Manchester United
Scores – rolls it to Sanchez's right afters ending him the wrong way.
1-1.
07:09 PM
Mac Allister for Brighton
Scores, high into the right of goal.
1-0.
07:08 PM
Time for penalties
Which will take place at the Brighton end just as a downpour hits.
Brighton will go first. Mac Allister has the ball.
07:06 PM
Shootout ahoy!
Memorably United were in a shootout two years ago, they lost 11-10 in the Europa League final. It was De Gea whose penalty was saved.
United have lost seven of their last eight. Brighton their last two.
07:04 PM
Full time: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Shaw launches the free-kick down Sanchez's throat.
Shootout incoming.
07:03 PM
120 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
One minute of stoppage time. United have a free-kick in the centre-circle.
07:02 PM
119 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Fred heads away Estupinan's cross at the far post but March picks it up and drives towards the byline. Shaw and Fred squeeze it out for a corner that United clear to halfway.
07:01 PM
118 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Casemiro lets fly from 22 yards and Sanchez saves the vicious daisycutter to his right.
Danny Murphy elects Caicedo as his man of the match.
07:00 PM
117 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Weghorst chases a lost cause down by the left corner flag and Veltman shoves him over. Weghorst jumps to his feet and urges the crow to roar. Sabitzer takes the free-kick and, inexplicably, bypasses the red shirts and the entire box with a cross that sails out for a throw.
06:58 PM
116 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mitoma, now on the right, is played into the box to the right of the D by Mac Allister's cute pass. But his touch deserts him and he stabs it too close to De Gea who darts out to whack it clear and is crashed into by Mitoma after the ball had gone. Estupinan smashes the follow-up into the side-netting but Craig Pawson had already blown for the foul on the goalie.
06:56 PM
114 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
United are up in arms when Weghorst recovers his own heavy touch and tries to flick the ball over Caicedo and it hits his hand. It did hit his hand but the referee waves play on.
06:55 PM
112 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Casemiro fires a 40-yard diagonal into Rashford's feet. He cuts in on to his right and barrels a shot past the far post. No curl ... or not enough.
06:53 PM
110 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Big howl from the Manchester United fans when Rashford is brought down by Veltman as he raced on to a long ball over the top from halfway. The referee awards it the other way. Rashford had a fistful of his shirt.
06:51 PM
James Ducker reports from Wembley
It's a superb save from Sanchez to keep out Rashford's deflected shot. There have been good saves from both goalkeepers but the overall lack of quality in both boxes from both teams has been pronounced. Maybe we will get a grandstand finish but it's been a grind of a game thus far.
06:50 PM
108 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Caicedo wins the ball off Fred but Fred bombs back to hassle Marsh and push him to the left of the D before he can shoot. The ball is struck through Fred's legs but De Gea has his angles worked out and smothers it.
06:49 PM
106 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Sabitzer kicks off for United.
06:46 PM
Half-time of extra-time: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Pretty ragged now but plenty of more penalty box incursions for your buck in extra-time.
06:45 PM
105 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Fantastic save from Sanchez to turn Rashford's deflected shot wide. His right-foot drive spun off Wesbster and was swerving in at the right post begore Sanchez dived headlong to turn it round the post.
06:43 PM
104 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
The game lurches from end to end with a complete absence of quality in the box, first from Fred who hits the six-yard box with his cross rather than his two runners then Undav messes up an overload with a heavy pass and finally Mitoma overplays again in the United box taking too many touches until he pokes one of them out for a goalkick.
06:41 PM
102 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Weghorst ⇢ Bruno Fernandes; Malacia ⇢ Wan-Bissaka.
Bruno Fernandes looks spent but is cheesed off to be hooked.
06:40 PM
100 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mitoma glides past Lindelof who tries to pull him back by the shirt. But he perseveres and makes it into the box to shoot ... ach no. He decides to try to play in Undav but pokes it too far ahead of him.
06:38 PM
98 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Dalot knocks it into Sancho's feet on the left of the box. He takes a moment and a touch to line up a cross to the back post from a standing start that Sabitzer glances wide.
06:36 PM
96 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Booking for Lindelof for yanking Mac Allister back by the shirt. Caicedo decides to take on a long shot and spoons it into orbit.
06:35 PM
94 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Undav spurns a golden chance with a heavy first touch after a great triangular move between Caicedo, Mac Allister and Estupinan played him in by the penalty spot. But he can't control the pass and blunders. Dalot mops up.
06:33 PM
93 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mitoma wheedles his way into the box again but cannot find the pass. But Brighton are happy to carry on probing even if the final pass is eluding them. Mac Allister, feeding on scraps, smears a right-foot shot over the bar from 20 yards after United cut out Mitoma's pass but couldn't clear.
06:30 PM
91 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Sabitzer ⇢ Antony at the start of extra-time. Sabitzer is tucked in behind Rashford, Bruno Fernandes is on the right, Sancho on the left.
06:24 PM
End of normal time
It's been a highly enjoyable game. Lots of skill and some grit that was missing for United in Europe. But not much goalmouth action.
06:23 PM
90+3 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mitoma leaves his studs on Mitoma's ankle after lancing out his leg as he tried to regain control when the ball had run ahead of him.
06:22 PM
90+2 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Brighton corner on the left, floated to the back post where March gets under it and heads it over.
06:21 PM
90+1 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mitoma drives at Wan-Bissaka and flicks the ball to Undav in the box but Lindelof is alert and gets there before he can shoot.
06:20 PM
90 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Rashford heads the corner clear and Sancho takes it to safety upfield.
06:19 PM
89 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Sancho plays a one-two with Fred. He puts his foot on the ball to the left of the penalty spot and opens his body to shoot towards the top right but it hits a defender's toe and spirals over the bar. Brighton defend the corner and hare off upfield. Casemiro and Wan-Bissaka stop Caicedo linking up with Mac Allister in the box at the price of a corner.
06:17 PM
87 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Rashford takes a kick on the calf from Webster as he chased a through ball.
06:16 PM
86 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Jadon Sancho ⇢ Antony Martial. Rashford moves to centre-forward. Antony had just wiped out Mac Allister 40 yards from goal and escapes a booking. United deal with the free-kick solidly.
06:14 PM
84 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Much better from March to seize the initiative when cutting in from the right on to his left. He shoots from 20 yards and De Gea gets down low to save to his left and gobble it up before Gross can pounce after he blocked it.
06:12 PM
83 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Casemiro is unpunished for what Caicedo considered a foul and Undav goes unpunished for barging him over in retribution.
06:11 PM
81 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
March takes too long to deliver down the right. There's been too much hesitancy for Brighton in wide areas.
06:10 PM
79 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Caicedo twists his ankle after planting his foot midway through a tackle on Dalot but he will carry on.
06:07 PM
77 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mitoma hogs the balll too long and is mugged but United's counter-thrust down their right ends when Sanchez leap above Rashford to pluck Aatony's cross out of the sky.
06:06 PM
75 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Welbeck is back on his feet but still departing. Undav ⇢ Welbeck.
06:05 PM
73 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Lindelof gets ahead of Lindelof to stop Welbeck shooting after his one-two with Gross. Lindelof nicks the ball away and Welbeck, who hadn't seen him, then jars his knee when kicking Lindelof rather than the ball as he expected. He looks in a lot of pain.
06:03 PM
71 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Martial shields the ball from Webster with his back to him so the Brighton centre-half knocks him over by forcing his legs to buckle with a kick across the calves.
06:00 PM
69 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
United fans have been buoyed by the last 10 minutes of ascendancy. Praise for Wan-Bissaka from Danny Murphy for (so far) neutering Mitoma.
05:58 PM
67 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Veltman ⇢ Enciso. The former Ajax man drops into right-back, Gross moves alongside Caicedo and Mac Allister advances to No10.
05:56 PM
66 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes plants the free-kick into the wall then larrups his second bite at it over the bar.
05:55 PM
64 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Fred ⇢ Eriksen.
Bruno Fernandes picks out Antony to the right of the D and he fires his low shot too close to Sanchez who pushes it to his right. When the ball comes back out of the box Rashford nutmegs Mac Allister and is brought down by Enciso 20 yards out as he shaped to shoot. Free-kick. Very central.
05:53 PM
61 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Wan-Bissaka rides a foul to stride down the right wing after winning the ball. He floods into space behind Estupinan and then taps it to Antony in the box. He can't tee the ball up to shoot so stabs it to Casemiro who cant find the room to swing his leg at it either. Brighton smother them with a scrambled defence.
05:51 PM
59 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Antony, with options aplenty when Bruno Fernandes wins a header on halfway. Antony hares upfield with Bruno Fernandes on his outside. When he enters the box he ignores his captain's screams for the ball to be rolled to him and cuts inside to hit a pea-roller of a shot with his left that Sanchez could have thrown his cap on ... had he had one. Up goes the hand in apology.
05:49 PM
57 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Fred is stripped and ready to come on ... after his Ten Hag touchline tutorial.
05:48 PM
55 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
At last another shot on target from Brighton after a corner. Enciso pumps a half-volley from the D that De Gea turns over one-handed. Stinging shot. Brighton swing the corner in from the right. Welbeck rises above his marker and heads over from six yards. Had to score.
05:46 PM
53 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Booking for Shaw for felling Caicedo. They work the ball into the box from the free-kick but Manchester United smother it with numbers. They are playing well Brighton but don't seem happy just having a shot sometimes from good positions. They are guilty of overplay and are missing Ferguson badly.
05:41 PM
51 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Brighton send the corner deep. Dunk, who has peeled off beyond the back post, heads it back to Estupinan on the 18-yard line and the left-back pumps a half-volley over the bar.
James Ducker reports from Wembley
Two great chances for Brighton. First De Gea, who is getting barracked at every opportunity by the Brighton fans behind him, does brilliantly to tip over Enciso's volley. Then from the resulting corner Danny Welbeck powers a header over the bar from six yards out. It is such a good chance but one that goes to waste.
05:40 PM
50 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
March comes straight back at United down the right and Dalot diligently sticks close to give away a corner with a good tackle.
05:39 PM
49 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
March takes too many touches in the box after another penetrating run down the right. Even after Casemiro missed a tackle he didn't let fly, giving Casemiro a second opportunity to hack the ball clear.
05:38 PM
47 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Antony dribbles 60 yards on the counter into the box after Casemiro's interception but instead of burning past Dunk to shoot he looks for Martial and passes straight to Webster.
05:36 PM
46 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
No changes as Manchester United kick off. Not sure that makes sense because if Brighton kicked off the first half, which they did, why did United choose to play the first half with the sun in De Gea's eyes?
Once again the posh seats are sparse after half-time.
05:22 PM
James Ducker reports from Wembley
Only three minutes of injury time. Find that bizarre given how many stoppages there have been for injuries and fouls.
Couple of big chances late in the half for United. First, Fernandes fires just wide of the far post, then Rashford tees up Eriksen whose first time shot is saved by the feet of Sanchez.
05:21 PM
Half-time: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Manchester United have made the better chances and seem to be growing stronger but Brighton have had more control of the game and are as slick and adventurous as ever.
05:20 PM
45+3 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Vintage Eriksen 40-yard crossfield from the right to Rashford who runs at Gross then assesses his options, decides against Martial, Antony and Bruno Fernandes but then picks out Eriksen to the right of the D in full stride after sprinting from halfway. The pass is perfect but Eriksen scuffs the shot into Sanchez's feet.
05:18 PM
45+1 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
The first of three minutes of stoppage time begins with a mix-up between Sanchez and his centre-backs which leaves the keeper miles off his line and the ball at the feet of Martial 40 yards out. The centre-forward goes for the chip but balloons it over the bar.
05:17 PM
45 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Casemiro wins the ball on the United right, taking it off Estupinan and then forcing a pass down the inside-right fir Bruno Fernandes who has been a proper livewire. The United captain flashes a right-foot shot across goal and wide by about a yard. Martial was screaming for the pass to the left of the penalty spot for a far easier chance.
05:15 PM
James Ducker reports from Wembley
Caicedo and MacAllister have been excellent so far for Brighton. Both cool as you like on the ball, always available on the ball, read danger well, passing is incisive, cover a lot of ground.
Erik ten Hag, the United manager, not impressed with referee Craig Pawson. Casemiro is rightly booked for a needless challenge from behind on MacAllister - one he simply did not need to make - but Ten Hag deeply frustrated that neither Gross nor Adam Webster were booked for clear fouls on Fernandes and Martial respectively. But then Fernandes endears himself to no one moments later when he goes down clutching his left eye - after running into a shoulder barge from Estupinan.
05:14 PM
43 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Eriksen takes the corner with only five red shirts in the box by contrast with 10 blue ones. They must be petrified of the lightning counter spearheaded by Mitoma and indeed their security blanket outside the box thwarts just that as Lindelof's back-post header is see off and Mitoma tries to gallop off upfield.
05:12 PM
41 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Dalot earns a corner with a positive run down the left, getting away from March who is still struggling, it seems.
05:11 PM
40 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes hits the deck clutching his face after Estupinan brushed him off after winning the ball. The referee isn't buying the ham act.
05:10 PM
38 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Ten Hag and Bruno Fernandes protest when Webster swipes Martial's legs away and isn't carded as Casemiro was a minute ago.
05:09 PM
37 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Casemiro, exasperated, grabs Mac Allister's shoulder and has a hack at his legs after the World Cup winner had rolled him. Danny murphy, for it is he, says Casemiro is frustrated by Brighton's midfield dominance and his lack of possession. Yellow card.
05:07 PM
36 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Brighton really are a joy to watch. They're so bold in their approach but not reckless. And the passing from midfield can be exceptional.
05:05 PM
34 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Wan-Bissaka's tackle takes the ball to Enciso who thumps a right-foot shot wide.
05:04 PM
33 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Very good recovery from Wan-Bissaka to get back and get in the way to tackle Mitoma as he pulled the trigger after another piercing run, this one up the middle. Well-tracked by the right-back who displayed his usual strength in one-on-ones.
05:03 PM
31 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Estupinan breaks Manchester United's lines with a pass down the left of the box for Mitoma who pulls back a cross that Welbeck could not reach, having not gambled that he might get there. Dalot calmly cushions it and plays out. Slick one-touch from United gets them upfield until Bruno Fernandes is fouled.
05:01 PM
28 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Lovely pass from Mac Allister, a diagonal arrow over Dalot's head for March to run on to down the right. Enciso loses Lindelof to take up a good position in the box but Shaw blocks March's cross. He should have pulled it back for Enciso rather than trying the difficult option of finding Welbeck.
04:58 PM
26 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
While Bruno Fernandes is off to flex his ankle on the touchline, Rashford cops Gross's elbow in his ribs as they battle for a header. They're down to nine momentarily. But Rashford's ribs respond to a rub and then Bruno jogs back on. Lots of problems for the players keeping their footing.
04:56 PM
24 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes sprains his right ankle as his studs stick in the turf. That would be a huge blow for United. The captain has been their best player.
04:54 PM
23 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
March is going to carry on. A couple of fouls, one by Casemiro and one on Bruno Fernandes follow.
04:53 PM
James Ducker reports from Wembley
Brighton are effectively a 4-2-4 but with Welbeck and Enciso both dropping deeper at times from their central attacking positions and forcing Shaw or Lindelof, but mostly Shaw, to step out. It's been end to end. Brighton's comfort playing out from the back evident when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez teased a pass through two red shirts into Pascal Gross in the inside-right channel.
04:51 PM
21 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Enciso rolls Shaw but United recover. March is bundled over by Dalot as they fought for a ball out by the touchline and looks winded. On comes the physio. Actually, seeing the replay, he slipped and hyper-extended his right knee, twisting his ankle, too. .
04:49 PM
19 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes' return has injected leadership and urgency into Man Utd's approach.
04:48 PM
17 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Eriksen dozes and allows Mitoma and March to get high up the right, overload Dalot and whip the ball into the box. Welbeck has a swipe at it but misses. That was a good chance.
04:47 PM
15 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes collects a pass from Eriksen to the left of the D after Antony's powerful run down the right pulled the defence across and away from Bruno. He took a touch then wrapped his instep round a dipping shot that Sanchez watched all the way and dived to his left to push away.
04:45 PM
13 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Enciso is penalised for slipping and felling Rashford as he stumbled into him.
04:44 PM
11 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Enciso tries to improvise a right-foot finish with the outside of his right foot after Gross and March combine well down the right against Dalot to fashion a shooting opportunity from 16 yards. Would have been easier to hit with his left, had he trusted it. Instead he screws the shot wide ... but no by much.
04:41 PM
9 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Antony goes on a storming run up the left but his cross/pass is hustled away by Webster. United knock the ball back up the middle, catching Caicedo out of position, but Eriksen and Rashford cannot get there before the ball bounces through to Sanchez.
04:39 PM
7 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Mac Allister bends the free-kick towards the top right corner and De Gea, at full stretch, claws it behind for a corner. Bruno Fernandes boots March's corner away on the volley.
04:37 PM
5 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Lovely pass from Caicedo, sweeping it round the corner from 10 yards outside his own box to send Estupinan off on a galloping run. He feeds Mitoma who glides towards the box. Antony tries to force himself between Mitoma and the ball and knocks him over. Brighton free-kick 20 yards out on the left.
04:35 PM
3 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Bruno Fernandes wins a tackle with Caicedo and sends United off on a counter with Rashford lengthening his stride as he makes 40 yards down the left. Bruno had bombed upfield too and split to the back post but Rashford chose to try to force a pass through Webster's legs to Martial but the centre-back closed them at just the right time.
04:33 PM
1 min: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0
Manchester United are attacking from right to left with Dalot high as a left-back, pushing on to Gross who is a bit of a makeshift at full-back but has played there enough. Certainly seem to be more in than yesterday at Wembley.
04:31 PM
Both sides are in their home kits
Except United have switched to white socks as they are officially the away side.
04:28 PM
Thanks to Josh Burrows
For holding the fort while I was wrapping up our coverage of the Newcastle-Tottenham whirlwind.
04:27 PM
The latest odds
Here's how the bookies have it, minutes before kick-off.
Brighton: 6/5
Man Utd: 15/8
Draw: 14/5
04:24 PM
A flock of seagulls at Wembley
Where do you buy this stuff?
04:20 PM
De Zerbi on going in as favourites
"This is a special day but we're focussed on the game," says the Brighton manager. And, on being the favourites for this match, he adds: "I think United is a big team and we are fighting to become a great team also."
And how will you try to exploit United, Roberto?
"I think we play with our quality, we have to show our quality our mentality. We have a great attitude in this moment and we have to play with passion. I'm lucky, I have great players - great people."
Safe to say he's more colourful on the touchline than he is in the mixed zone.
04:14 PM
Erik Ten Hag on how Rashford can exploit Brighton
Here's some Erik Ten Hag, on the aftermath of the Europa League exit in midweek.
"We are annoyed after Thursday. We had a poor performance and now we have to bounce back."
And on how they'll set about doing that.
"If you want a good performance, you have to have a winning attittude. It starts with winning the duals."
Also on Luke Shaw, who is filling in today in central defence
"He's capable. He knows what to do there."
And finally, on the benefits of having Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial alongside each other in attack.
"Especially against them [Brighton], they leave a lot of space. And with Rashford's speed and that of Anthony Martial we have a real threat there."
04:07 PM
Tin-foil trophy: RED ALERT FOR BBC
This photo taken a few moments ago at Wembley....
...reminded me of one of the unexpected highlights of this season's FA Cup coverage on the BBC: when a Wrexham supporter tricked the national broadcaster into showing a shot of a sign reading "F--- the Tories".
BBC tricked into broadcasting 'F--- the Tories' message by fan with tin-foil trophy.#TelegraphFootball
Read the full story here 👇https://t.co/EVlyhNpp1B pic.twitter.com/yS72OLMylF— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) January 30, 2023
Never forget.
04:01 PM
Wan-Bissaka: Ten Hag has taught me how to attack again
Also in the build-up to this match, Mike McGrath spoke to Aaron Wan-Bissaka. A bit like Welbeck, he too says that he is improving under his current manager – notably in being asked to join attacks from right back.
"Growing up it was quite natural [to attack] until I became a defender, so you forget a little because you are not in those areas again. So it is quite weird, you focus more on the defending side. That was the transition. Now I'm getting used to it again."
The full interview includes details of Ten Hag's plan for his overlapping full-backs and inverted wingers, plus detail of the football academy Wan-Bissaka has established in Kinshasa.
03:53 PM
Welbeck: We've got three ways of playing
In an interview in the build-up to this game, Danny Welbeck explained to Jason Burt why he has been so impressed by Roberto De Zerbi. Not least because Brighton sometimes start a game with three different plans
"Sometimes we're going into a game and coming up against an opposition and we've got three ways of playing against them because we've worked on it in the week," he said. "We've always got a way around it because we're always ready."
For Welbeck, today offers an opportunity to repeat his feat of 2015, when he knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup with a goal for Arsenal in the quarter-final.
03:37 PM
Brighton team
Danny Welbeck, formerly of Manchester United, will be looking forward to this one.
TEAM NEWS. 🚨 Here's our starting XI for our @EmiratesFACup semi-final. 📝
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv // #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/fGFZF6lzln— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 23, 2023
03:35 PM
Manchester United team
Rashford back in the starting line-up, in a link-up with Martial. Shaw also fit to start.
🗒️ Here's your Wembley Reds! 🔴#MUFC || #FACup
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 23, 2023
12:33 PM
Bullish Brighton ready for United
It says much about Brighton's season that Erik ten Hag has won plenty of plaudits for his work at Manchester United and yet the south coast club will start, for many, as marginal favourites in today's FA Cup semi-final.
Yes, the Old Trafford club lie in the top four of the Premier League, some 10 points above their Wembley opponents, and in terms of 'big-game' players United boast them by the bucketload. But there is a huge sense that Brighton not only will provide the type of test that Harry Maguire and Co will struggle to cope with, but also that the belief within the Brighton dressing room will help power them to victory over a side just three days out from the chastening 3-0 defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League.
And for all the praise heaped on Ten Hag there's little doubt that the Roberto De Zerbi has had an the more impressive season. The passionate Brighton coach as taken the side to another level since taking over Graham Potter in October, and he's confident he'll be leading his side out in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
"You can think I am arrogant - because I am not arrogant - but I think we are able to win the game because I believe in my players," the Italian said. "I know their quality.
"I know very well the quality of the Man United players and I respect them. It will be a very tough game for us, but for them too.
"I think they [Brighton's players] love the pressure because when do you have the pressure? When you play the very important games. Pressure is a good thing in football.
"It's not a problem and we have to adapt and we have to love the competition and these games in terms of importance, in terms of pressure."
Stay here for all the team news, pre-match build up and action.
