1
United resist the whirlwind of Wembley
Jammy, jammy Man United. To be fair, they found a new way to be desperate. Instead of the usual chaos, they were in complete control for 70 minutes and barely let Coventry have a chance. But then, somehow, they snatched chaos from the jaws of serenity. ITV and all its teatime viewers couldn't believe their luck when a children's game became a classic. United squandered a 3-0 lead and for a minute, right at the end of extra time, trailed 4-3, only for VAR to come to their aid, after it had not done so when they awarded a penalty. We were witnessing history, comedy, tragedy, everything. Casemiro took the first penalty and missed. Fate was surely calling for Coventry, but André Onana rose to the occasion, flying to his right to disallow a penalty, cleverly plotting a miss from another and saving Erik ten Hag's job. For now, anyway. Tim Lisle
2
Rollercoaster afternoon for the Robins
It was billed as the Mark Robins derby. The man did not agree: “It's not about me,” he said firmly beforehand. But as this semi-final unfolded, it was really all about him. His decision to switch to a back five went horribly wrong, giving Diogo Dalot the space to run the show. manchester united They transformed, took control and even looked, as Harry Maguire said, “very professional.” At half-time, Robins made the obvious change and went back to playing with a back four. He made a huge difference, allowing Coventry to shoot deep and compete on equal terms, but they still failed to score and even conceded a third. Robins kept the faith, made clever changes and his luck changed: two goals in 10 minutes, one more in the 95th. The fairy tale continued… until VAR put an end to all that. Coventry lost the penalty shootout but won the hearts of millions with their spirit. That's what the FA Cup is about. tdl
3
Jackson lacks faith when it matters
At Chelsea, queues form to dispute the right to take penalties when the score is 4-0. The ability to take responsibility is harder to detect when the stakes are high. For example, none of Cole Palmer's teammates were bothered when he took the equalizing penalty in added time against Manchester United. The nerve in big moments remains elusive. It didn't matter that Chelsea did a lot of good things in the FA Cup semi-final against city of manchester. City were below their best level, but they had enough knowledge. Chelsea, on the other hand, found a way to lose again late on, which was largely due to Nicolas Jackson failing to show why he thought it was a good idea to try to take a penalty on Palmer in the 6-0 win over Everton. Where was this condemnation against City? Jackson had great opportunities and blew them all. If only Palmer could pass the pass to Palmer. Jacob Steinberg
4
City's rivals return to normal
Crisis, what crisis? like the arsenal, Liverpool They simply had to win this weekend, and they did, by two clear goals. Jürgen Klopp made the changes and benefited when Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota scored at Craven Cottage. The result, combined with Arsenal's, leaves the title race in a curious position. Most assume that Manchester City have everything under control. The Opta computer agrees, giving City a 62% chance of winning another title, with Arsenal at 22% and Liverpool at 16%. However, City are third, with the same number of wins as Liverpool and one less than Arsenal. The tired City superstars' next two games will be away from home, the first against Brighton, who almost never lose at home. We think it's all over… it's not now. tdl
5
Arsenal's defense remains firm again
Arsenal are on the hunt for a striker this summer – Alexander Isak and Ivan Toney are among those linked – but their defense could be the key to maintaining their title challenge. Mikel Arteta's side made it six clean sheets in a row away from home with the win against Wolves on Saturday and a shutout at home against Chelsea on Tuesday, a team that has scored 19 goals in its last six games, would represent another good result. Ben White was excellent in attack at Molineux and the entire defense was barely bothered. Chelsea and Tottenham, the latter hosting their rivals on Sunday, will be tougher tests. “If we want to keep pushing, we have to win, win and keep going like this,” said William Saliba. “We know it will be difficult but we are prepared. We have to push and give everything we have.” ben fisherman
6
Clash of heads shows cultural change
There was a delay in injury time when Beto and Morgan Gibbs-White clashed heads, leaving the Everton The forward was left unconscious on the field of play. A medical team came to the aid of the two players and took their time to assess the seriousness of the situation. Gibbs-White was able to get back on his feet, but Beto clearly needed more urgent care. In a relegation battle results are considered the most important thing, but the health of the players must always take priority. The sport has progressed over the years when it comes to the medical treatment of head injuries and, after taking every precaution, delaying the match eight minutes in the process, Beto was put on a stretcher and they carried, thankfully giving the fans a thumbs up as he departed and headed to the hospital as a precaution. He will most likely have to go through concussion protocol and could miss some crucial games, but it's a sign that football sometimes gets its priorities right. won't win
7
Berge deepens the pain in South Yorkshire
When Sheffield United sold Sander Berge to Burnley for £12 million last summer, many Bramall Lane regulars began to fear an immediate return to the Championship. This was all but confirmed by Saturday's demoralizing 4-1 home defeat to Vincent Kompany's resurgent side and, exacerbating the pain in South Yorkshire, Berge was the best player on the pitch, frequently dictating midfield. Still, Burnley could also return to the second division. It is true that they are close to salvation and have only lost one of their last seven games, but an unpleasant fixture list leaves them facing Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest in his last four games. “Hopefully we can go to the end,” said the realistic Kompany. If the worst were to happen, the hope is that Burnley's board will keep faith in the Belgian while resisting all offers for Norwegian Berge. Louise Taylor
8
Watkins and Solanke make their case
If the match at Villa Park was an audition to be Harry Kane's substitute at the Euros, Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke showed what they could offer Gareth Southgate. Although Ivan Toney was left out of the Brentford squad for their game at Luton, both Watkins and Solanke impressed in Aston Villa's 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Watkins produced a man-of-the-match display, setting up Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey. In the process, he became the main goal provider in the first division this season. Solanke received little service, but stayed calm to score from the penalty spot against Emiliano Martínez, a goalkeeper known for saving penalties, and score his 18th goal of the campaign. If Toney is moving down the pecking order, Southgate still has plenty of firepower to draw on. Pete Lansley
9
Moyes continues to suffer for his art
This week, a West Ham social media post commemorated the late John Lyall, the former Hammers manager to win a trophy, with a universally warm reception. Perhaps in the future David Moyes will be remembered fondly, although the fans have never been completely convinced. Perhaps that is due to Moyes's tough exterior. Behind the scenes he can be warm, even sociable, but he refrains from revealing much in public. Likewise, his style of football doesn't fit the model of what the West Ham Way is supposed to be. Despite the great talent within his team (Lucas Paquetá and Edson Álvarez both performed poorly at Selhurst Park), he can often seem more satisfied with performances in which the only discernible quality is maintaining defensive shape. “I have no idea,” Moyes said, preparing to leave when asked if he would receive a respectful farewell if he left this summer. It may take some time for him to receive the well-deserved recognition from him. John Brewin
10
Wissa and Mbeumo, a deadly duo
While Yoane Wissa emerged from Brentford's dominant victory at Kenilworth Road with much of the credit, having steered the visitors to victory with two well-taken goals, Bryan Mbeumo put in an equally devastating performance. He would have finished with a hat-trick of assists if not for Reece Burke's late cross touch which set up Wissa's second, while he also hit the crossbar in the first half and played a crucial role in setting up Kevin's late strike. Schade. Wissa has scored a career-high 10 Premier League goals this season, while Mbeumo is one away from matching the nine he scored last season; Both deserve credit for picking up the slack during Ivan Toney's absences. Against Luton, however, it was Mbeumo who really excelled in open play, scampering between the lines, isolating defenders and delivering killer passes. “My front three were fantastic today,” Thomas Frank said afterwards, also highlighting Keane Lewis-Potter, who was more spread out but just as energetic. Will Magee
