Second-tier Coventry City recovered from 3-0 behind with 19 minutes of regular time remaining to earn a 3-3 draw and force extra time against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals.
First-half goals by Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire had put United on course for a second successive final against Manchester City.
The game looked to be over when Bruno Fernandes fired in a third from a tight angle with 32 minutes remaining, only for City top scorer Ellis Simms to give the Championship club a glimmer of hope with an excellent first-time finish in the 71st minute.
Callum O’Hare’s shot looped over goalkeeper Andre Onana eight minutes later and, after Coventry continued to apply pressure and United striker Rasmus Hojlund spurned a presentable opportunity, Haji Wright coolly converted a penalty five minutes into added time to complete a remarkable 25 minutes of drama.
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“I can’t believe what I’m watching,” United legend Roy Keane told ITV Sport, calling his former club’s capitulation “shocking”.
Coventry goals v Man United change game
Coventry had shown very few signs of troubling United before Simms replied, but their opponents – 21 places above them in the league – were hanging on at the end and Wright’s equaliser, afforded by Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s handball, came far from against the run of play.
The nature of United’s performance is likely to be seen as an embarrassment by fans regardless of the outcome of the showdown at Wembley.
The Sky Blues have had a fine season but are unlikely to make the play-offs and had lost three of their previous four matches.
UNBELIEVABLE! @Coventry_City are back from the brink! 🔵⚪️#FACup #COVMUN pic.twitter.com/fQSLxiwI4F
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) April 21, 2024
Led by former United striker Mark Robins, their most recent defeat had been a 3-0 thrashing eight days earlier at neighbours Birmingham City, who are currently in the relegation zone.
City reached the semi-finals with a last-gasp comeback win at Premier League side Wolves in one of the all-time classic matches in the competition.
Wolves recovered from 1-0 behind to take the lead in the 88th minute before Simms scored in the 97th minute and Wright made it 3-2 with 100 minutes played.
United were beaten 2-1 in the 2023 final by City, who scored the only goal of the game through Bernardo Silva in their semi-final against Chelsea on Saturday.
