As FA Cup semi-finals go, they don't get any better than this.
Missed penalties, own goals, inspired substitutions, individual brilliance and late winners. If you were looking for your daily dose of drama, you had to look no further than this evenings clash between Everton and Manchester United at Wembley this evening, where they produced it in spades.
Anthony Martial popped up in the 92nd minute to send Manchester United through to their first FA Cup final since 2007 and once again garner the adoration of the Old Trafford faithful, but, not for the first time this season, the real hero came from the Red Devils rearguard as David DeGea proved to be an inspirational figure once again.
The Spanish goalkeeper kept Everton at bay for the first three quarters of the game and was only foiled in his attempts to keep a clean sheet by his own defender, as Chris Smalling got his wires and legs crossed and contrived to turn Gerard Delofeu's cross into his own net.
It was no less the Roberto Martinez's men deserved for a sterling second half performance, a complete reversal of the events in the opening 45 minutes where United controlled the game and led thanks to Marouane Fellaini, who scuffed Martial's pull back into the Everton net.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">this could be Fellaini's day... <a href="https://t.co/wpnDvNUkri">pic.twitter.com/wpnDvNUkri</a></p>— dredarmy (@dredarmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/dredarmy/status/723920816337887233">April 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The Toffees upped the tempo after the break and began to dictate proceedings, with Romelu Lukaku having an off day in front of goal, missing a number of chances to equalise, including a penalty.
Following a swift counter attack, Ross Barkley was felled in the area by Timothy Fosu-Mensah but the free scoring Belgian once again met his match in DeGea, who got down low to his right to save and deny Everton a well deserved leveler.
The introduction of Delofeu for Aaron Lennon in the 70th minute proved a pivotal moment in the game, with the diminutive Spaniard tearing the United defence apart a number of times on the right wing, and six minutes after his introduction, Everton were level.
Delofeu picked the ball up out wide to the right before firing a low cross into the box, which was inadvertently turned in by Smalling,
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Retweeted 101 Great Goals (<a href="https://twitter.com/101greatgoals">@101greatgoals</a>):<br><br>The Chris Smalling own goal...<a href="https://t.co/uBYJBkpRSv">https://t.co/uBYJBkpRSv</a> <a href="https://t.co/zprzpAqK0H">https://t.co/zprzpAqK0H</a></p>— M.R // U.K (@MinorityRepUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/MinorityRepUK/status/723935106340003840">April 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
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United were hanging on as Delofeu, Barkley and Lukaku continued to be a menace to their defence, but despite a plethora of chances, they couldn't find a second.
The game continued in rip-roaring fashion up until the final minute and just when it seemed destined for extra-time, cue Anthony Martial.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Martial's winning goal for Man Utd vs. Everton in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FACup?src=hash">#FACup</a> semifinal. A moment to savour forever. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GGMU?src=hash">#GGMU</a><a href="https://t.co/N79Q3mCnaO">pic.twitter.com/N79Q3mCnaO</a></p>— #AnthonyMartial (@iambolar) <a href="https://twitter.com/iambolar/status/723940257289408512">April 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
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