It was almost a remarkable turnaround for Coventry. Instead, they faced another heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat at Wembley against Manchester United, who scraped through to yet another FA Cup final.
Coventry mounted an extraordinary comeback from three goals down against United, forcing extra time with a 3-3 draw in Sunday’s semifinal. However, they stumbled in the end, allowing Erik ten Hag’s team to secure a 4-2 shootout victory.
“It’s really painful, especially after coming back from 3-0 down and having the chance to win in extra time,” expressed Coventry striker Ellis Simms. “Losing on penalties is tough… We were unlucky, but things just didn’t go our way.”
Rasmus Hojlund’s crucial penalty saved United from another potential collapse after Callum O’Hare and Ben Sheaf missed their spot kicks for Coventry.
“It was an incredible and bizarre game,” noted Ten Hag. “We had control for most of it, but then lost it in the final stretch.”
It marked another heartbreaking moment for Coventry at Wembley, following last year’s playoff final loss to Luton on penalties.
United’s narrow escape sets up a repeat of last year’s final against Manchester City, who defeated Chelsea on Saturday.
However, United had seemed to be comfortably heading for the final after Bruno Fernandes’ shot gave them a 3-0 lead in the 58th minute against a resilient Championship side that had defied expectations to reach the semifinals.
Yet, Coventry, known for their comeback prowess, staged an impressive fightback, reminiscent of their dramatic victory over Wolverhampton in the quarterfinals, igniting jubilant celebrations among their supporters.
