Manchester United prevailed on penalties to reach the FA Cup final, breaking Coventry City hearts after the Championship side came back from 3-0 down to force Erik Ten Hag’s side to the brink.
United appeared to have all but sealed a repeat of last season’s final against rivals Manchester City when Bruno Fernandes put them three up before the hour, adding to first-half goals from Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire.
But Ellis Simms netted his seventh goal of City’s dizzying FA Cup run and when Callum O’Hare’s speculative effort deflected beyond a helpless Andre Onana off Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ten Hag’s side were back in the familiar position this term of living on their wits.
United have let victories slip in the dying minutes against Brentford, Chelsea, and Liverpool over recent weeks and history repeated itself when the unfortunate Wan-Bissaka handled in the area and was not spared by VAR. USMNT forward Haji Wright coolly sent Onana the wrong way to force the additional period.
Man United vs Coventry final score, result
| Full time (ET) | Goalscorers | |
| Man United | 3 | McTominay 23', Maguire 45+1', Fernandes 58' |
| Coventry | 3 | Simms 71', O'Hare 79', Wright (p) 90+5' |
Manchester United win 4-2 on penalties
Lineups:
Man United (4-2-3-1, right to left): Onana (GK) — Dalot, Maguire, Casemiro, Wan-Bissaka — Mainoo (Eriksen), McTominay (Forson) — Garnacho (Antony), Fernandes, Rashford (Amad) — Hojlund.
Coventry (4-3-3 right to left): Collins (GK) — Latibeaudiere (Tavares) (Godden), Kitching (Binks), Thomas, Bidwell (Dasilva) — Eccles (Torp), Sheaf, O'Hare — Van Ewijk, Simms, Wright.
MORE: How Man City booked their place in the FA Cup final
Fernandes and Simms each hit the crossbar as the frantic nature of the contest did not relent. Victor Torp thought he had an unforgettable Coventry winner in stoppage time but VAR this time came to Wan-Bissaka's aid, as replays showed he had not played Wright onside during the build-up.
Casemiro got United off to a wretched start in the shootout when Bradley Collins saved his apologetic effort, but Diogo Dalot, Christian Eriksen, and Fernandes all being on target had the Red Devils in the box seat. O’Hare’s attempt was saved by Onana after Wright and Torp successfully converted and, after Ben Sheaf blazed over, Rasmus Hojlund held his nerve to get Ten Hag’s red rabble over the line.
Rasmus Højlund scores in the shootout to send @ManUtd to the 2024 #EmiratesFACup Final 🔴 pic.twitter.com/lsCuj80DTK
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 21, 2024
McTominay replaced Willy Kambwala in the only change from United’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Bournemouth last time out and the Scotland international converted Dalot’s 23rd-minute cross to break the deadlock after the full-back linked nicely with Alejandro Garnacho on the overlap.
Marcus Rashford went close either side of the opener, first when his touch deserted him on the end of a glorious raking pass from emergency centre-back Casemiro and then, just before the interval, when Coventry goalkeeper Collins brilliantly tipped his rasping strike over.
Collins must have felt like he needn’t have bothered when the Sky Blues defence left Maguire unattended to plant home a header from Fernandes’ corner
HARRY MAGUIRE 💪
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 21, 2024
The @England and @ManUtd defender rises highest to do what he does best 🤩#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/0yizXjUQ7t
Mark Robins' side were forced to chase the game, which opened up opportunities for United to counter. When a Rashford raid broke down before the hour, Fernandes picked up the pieces with some smart footwork and fired home with the help of a deflection.
It seemed Coventry only had faint hope when one-time Manchester City youngster Simms clipped home a cross from substitute Fabio Tavares on the turn. When a huge slice of fortune helped O’Hare to make further inroads into United’s lead, Ten Hag saw his team’s game management completely fail them once again.
Onana made a magnificent save from a blistering Torp strike and was booked for timewasting after the resulting corner. Such tactics could not get United to the final whistle, as Luis Binks diverted Wright’s cross against Wan Bissaka’s hand. Wright was nerveless, just as he was at the start of the shootout. But, as was the case in last season’s Championship playoff final against Luton Town, Coventry would ultimately suffer Wembley heartbreak from 12 yards.
WHAT. A. COMEBACK 🤯😳@Coventry_City have come from three goals down to level against @ManUtd 😱#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/CTPT8QnOAx
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 21, 2024
United have a shot at revenge against a City team who have twice beaten them comfortably since the 2023 final. There is time for Ten Hag and his staff to mend tired bodies and minds before then, but right now a showpiece showdown with Pep Guardiola’s side feels like a dubious reward.
Man United vs Coventry penalty shootout
9th penalty: Hojlund steps up and rifles home a fantastic penalty. United are out of jail and into the FA Cup final against Manchester City. UNITED 4-2 COVENTRY.
8th penalty: Sheaf, who scored in the playoff final last season, blazes over! United can win it with the next kick. UNITED 3-2 COVENTRY.
7th penalty: Fernandes drills into the bottom right corner. Never in doubt. UNITED 3-2 COVENTRY.
6th penalty: O'Hare steps up, Onana down to his left to save brilliantly. We're all square again. UNITED 2-2 COVENTRY.
5th penalty: Collins thought Eriksen was going to go down the middle like Casemiro but this isn't the Dane's first rodeo. UNITED 2-2 COVENTRY.
4th penalty: Torp, who thought he had the winner at the death. Stares intently at the ball and rifles an outstanding penalty into the top right corner. UNITED 1-2 COVENTRY.
3rd penalty: Diogo Dalot, straight run up. Fires into the left corner as Collins tumbles in the opposite direction. United on the board. UNITED 1-1 COVENTRY.
2nd penalty: Wright scored from the spot to force extra time. Wallop! Sends Onana the wrong way again. UNITED 0-1 COVENTRY.
1st penalty: Casemiro will take first for United after an increasingly torrid outing as an emergency centre-back. Terrible penalty, plonked slightly to Collins' right and the Coventry keeper saves. UNITED 0-0 COVENTRY.
Man United vs Coventry kick off time
This FA Cup match takes place at Wembley Stadium in London, UK and kicks off on Sunday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, Apr. 21 | 10:30 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun Apr. 21 | 10:30 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sun, Apr. 21 | 3:30 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Mon, Apr. 21 | 12:30 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Sun, Apr. 21 | 8:00 p.m. IST |
Man United vs Coventry lineups, team news
Ten Hag's dismal injury situation in defence means Casemiro starting as an emergency centre-back. Scott McTominay slots into the Brazilian's midfield berth and the Scotland international replacing Willy Kambwala is the only change from the United XI that twice came from behind to draw with Bournemouth
Man United (4-2-3-1, right to left): Onana (GK) — Dalot, Maguire, Casemiro, Wan-Bissaka — Mainoo, McTominay — Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford — Hojlund.
Man United subs (9): Bayindir (GK), Eriksen, Diallo, Antony, Forson, Amass, Ogunneye, Jackson, Wheatley
Coventry are still on the edge of the Premier League promotion playoff spots ahead of their huge trip to Wembley. However, head coach Mark Robins will go with the strongest team available,
USMNT attacker Haji Wright is a crucial name on the Coventry team sheet with the 26-year-old already netting 17 club goals so far this season.
Coventry (4-3-3 right to left): Collins (GK) — Latibeaudiere, Kitching, Thomas, Bidwell — Eccles, Sheaf, O'Hare — Van Ewijk, Simms, Wright.
Coventry subs (9): Wilson (GK), Binks, Dasilva, Kelly, Allen, Godden, Torp, Tavares, Andrews
Man United vs Coventry live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this FA Cup match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — |
Sportsnet NOW Plus |
| UK | ITV 1, STV, UTV | ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| India | Sony Ten 2,3,4 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
USA: This game is available exclusively on ESPN+.
Canada: Broadcast and streaming options are available via Sportsnet.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream FA Cup matches live and on demand on Paramount+.
UK: This match is available on ITV 1 and streaming is covered by ITVX. Viewers in Scotland and Northern Ireland can watch on STV and UTV respectively,
If Man United vs. Coventry is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favourite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
WATCH FROM ANYWHERE: Sign up for NordVPN (30-day moneyback guarantee)
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >
