LONDON: Manchester United’s victory over Coventry City via penalty shoot-out in the FA Cup semi-final broke a 139-year-old record.
The Red Devils led 3-0 before the Champions League club came back to equalize and drag the match into extra time and penalties.
Erik ten Hag’s side made it to the final but football observers believe the United manager’s future is fading at Old Trafford.
Man United also broke the old record with the win.
It is shared with Manchester City, who will be United’s opponents after they beat Chelsea in the other semi-final.
For the first time in 139 years, two teams played in the FA Cup final for two consecutive years.
The Manchester derby will take place on May 25, a repeat of last season’s Wembley clash, which Pep Guardiola’s side won for the treble.
This is the second time this situation has happened in the history of the tournament.
The first time it happened was in 1884 and 1885 – a clash between Blackburn and Queen’s Park Rangers at Kennington Oval, London.
Blackburn won the first final 2–1, with goals from Joe Sowerbutts and Jimmy Forrest giving them their first FA Cup title.
Blackburn retained the championship with a 2–0 win over QPR the following year thanks to goals from Forrest and James Brown.
United, 12-time champions of the world’s oldest competition, have not lifted the FA Cup trophy since 2016 – when Louis van Gaal managed it.
Twice they reached the final after that – with Jose Mourinho in 2018 and losing to Chelsea 1-0, and with Ten Hag last year.
Man City won it seven times, three of them since 2011.