Manchester United’s season now depends on Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal against Brighton after their dismal Europa League defeat to Sevilla.
By defeating Newcastle to win the Carabao Cup in February, United overcame a six-year trophy drought that sparked rumors that Erik ten Hag’s team was aiming for a quadruple of trophies.
That hope, however, was immediately dashed after United humiliated Liverpool 7-0 at Anfield, putting on a disastrous performance typical of previous seasons. Soon after, United quickly reverted to their old ways as they were lucky to lose 2-0 to top-four rivals Newcastle at St. James’ Park.
Another example of Ten Hag’s team imploding away from Old Trafford, where United are unbeaten since September, was Thursday’s humiliating 3-0 loss at 13th-placed Sevilla.
However, despite their propensity to falter, United are still in a solid position to qualify for the Champions League and are still in the running to win the FA Cup.
Before a crucial weekend for their season, the football writers for Sky Sports look at United’s main issues and determine whether they can turn things around at Wembley…
De Gea’s time at Man Utd is up
The time may have come for Manchester United to acknowledge what has been evident for a long time: David De Gea isn’t what he once was, and he isn’t up to the challenges of playing goalie for Ten Hag’s squad. The legacy of De Gea at United is assured. He has spent 12 years at Old Trafford, where he has amassed the most clean sheets in club history and won five major championships. But goalkeeping in the present era is more than just keeping score and history. A quick look at the list of the top players in that position in the game, such Ederson, Alisson, and Manuel Neuer, reveals what they all have in common.
It involves more than simply having amazing reflexes; it also entails being able to support their team in keeping possession of the ball and advancing forward. Ten Hag is aware that De Gea does not fit into that mold. The fact that United’s goalkeeper ranks 12th for passing accuracy and 18th for touches per 90 minutes among goalies in the Premier League this season illustrates how the team works around his limitations. Ten Hag does not want De Gea to have the ball at his feet because he is prone to make backbreaking mistakes, as he did with his comical attempts for Sevilla’s third goal on Thursday night.
In trying to play out from the back during Brentford’s 4-0 drubbing in August, the 32-year-old also made a notorious error. De Gea has actually committed more mistakes that have resulted in goals for the opposition than any other Premier League player since the beginning of the previous campaign, with Hugo Lloris being the only one to match his total of five.
Why Brighton is the Wembley favorite
Would Brighton defeating Manchester United shock the FA Cup? Not at much; they are favorites.
Brighton is no longer known for teasing the privileged. Tottenham is aware. Chelsea is aware. And on Sunday at Wembley, Manchester United is set to find that out.
Under Roberto De Zerbi, they have abandoned the feather dusters they had been using under Graham Potter in favor of battering rams.
What Brighton is doing has a ruthlessness and drive to it.
It’s thrilling. It takes courage.
The way to stop them is unknown to teams. Declan Rice described it as “demoralizing” and “embarrassing” to chase Brighton’s midfield when behind 4-0. We typically identify Manchester City with that dominance.
Although it may sound fantastical, Brighton are not too far from that level.
Brighton’s standing among the top should be taken seriously, just like Newcastle’s.
A quick glance at the odds for the match at Wembley on Sunday demonstrates that. In a neutral location, Brighton is the favorite to win, with Sky Bet giving them a 4/5 chance, while Manchester United are given a 10/11 chance. For probability calculations, turning that into a percentage chance suggests Brighton has a 3% better chance of winning the match than United.
Lewis Jones
