Manchester United beat Brighton on penalties to reach FA Cup final

England is ready for its first-ever Manchester derby in the FA Cup final after Manchester United did all it could to secure a place in the final of the competition by beating Brighton on penalties on Sunday in the second semi-final.

On Saturday, the blue half of Manchester, Manchester City secured a place in the final after its 3-0 win over championship club Sheffield United to keep their hopes of a treble alive.

Pep Guardiola’s side is currently in the run for the UEFA Champions League, where they will face Real Madrid in the semi-final and are also four points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table and with two matches outstanding.

A Riyadh Mahrez hattrick was enough for the Premier League club, but their city rivals, United, couldn’t score against fellow Premier League side Brighton, leading to a penalty shootout.

The Seagulls, who have been outstanding this season in the Premier League, had Solly March losing his penalty, which saw Manchester United through to the final.

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has placed priority on securing a UEFA Champions League place other than focusing on winning the FA Cup for now.

“It’s going to be a great final, but first, we have other things to focus on. It’s important to get into the Champions League next season. We have to perform again on Thursday and Sunday. We’ve shown so often this season that we can do that. It shows the character and ambition of this team.” Ten Hag said.

Manchester United can secure a domestic cup double if they beat their City rivals in the final schedules for May.

They are also the winners of the Carabao Cup from February after beating Newcastle in the final at Wembley in February. However, the Red Devils still have eight games to go in the Premier League, where they currently sit fourth on the table.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu