How Manchester United reached the FA Cup final for a record 22nd time

Manchester United are in a record 22nd FA Cup final and face Manchester City this weekend.

Here, PA news agency looks at the Red Devils’ route to another showdown at Wembley.

Wigan 0 Man Utd 2 (third round, 8 Jan)

Goals from Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes meant Erik ten Hag’s side avoided any unwanted drama at League One side Wigan.

United, as they should, dominated a team with 53 under them, and the only complaint would be that they didn’t convert more of their 33 attempts on goal.

As it was, Dalot’s 22nd-minute curler and a second-half penalty from Fernandes set up a trip to Wales.

Newport 2 Man Utd 4 (fourth leg, Jan 28)

The Red Devils survived a huge FA Cup hole to win away to League Two opposition after Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo – with his first goal for United – scored in the opening 13 minutes.

Safety looked inevitable but Rodney Parade were rocked as Bryn Morris and Will Evans equalised, highlighting the 76 rungs between the two clubs on the football ladder.

United’s troubled season was in danger of sinking to a new low, only for Antony to score for the first time since April 2023 and Rasmus Hojlund to seal things in stoppage time.

Nottingham Forest 0 Man Utd 1 (Round Five, February 28)

Last year’s FA Cup finalists dug deep on the banks of the Trent as Casemiro turned home Fernandes’ free-kick at the death to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final with Liverpool at Old Trafford.

The 89th-minute winner, which took time to be ruled out by VAR, kept United’s season alive after being dumped out of Europe in December and long played out of the Premier League title race.

Man Utd 4 Liverpool 3 (AET) (March 17)

Super sub Amad Diallo sealed a barely believable extra-time triumph in a tie against bitter rivals Liverpool that went from one direction to another before the box office closed.

Scott McTominay put United into an early lead but Liverpool looked set to run wild after Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah scored late in the first half to put Jurgen Klopp’s men in control.

Substitute Antony equalized against the run of play to take the game into extra-time as the roller-coaster ride continued with Liverpool substitute Harvey Elliott hitting a body-kick in the 105th minute.

But in front of United fan Tyson Fury, the hosts pulled away, Marcus Rashford making it 3-3 before Diallo scored in the last minute and was sent off after receiving a second booking for his celebrations .

Coventry 3 Man Utd 3 (Utd won 4-2 on penalties) (21 Apr)

Manchester United survived an almighty scare to reach the FA Cup final, winning on penalties after Coventry fell horribly short of a sensational victory at Wembley.

The Red Devils looked to be cruising past seemingly inferior opposition as they opened up a handsome lead with goals from McTominay, Harry Maguire and Fernandes.

However, their Championship opponents pulled one back through Ellis Simms with less than 20 minutes remaining and then threw caution to the wind, Callum O’Hare scoring a deflected effort before Haji Wright’s free-kick from the 90th minute to send the game to overtime.

Both sides hit the bar in extra-time, before Victor Torp thought he had grabbed a dramatic winner for Coventry in the closing minutes, only for VAR to rule Wright offside. Sky Blues captain Ben Sheaf sent a crucial shot over the bar in the shootout, leaving Hojlund to win.