Manchester United are through to the FA Cup final
Marouane Fellaini opened the scoring for Manchester United, only for Everton to flick the switch and grab an unlikely equaliser courtesy of a second-half own goal from Chris Smalling. Before he did the honours for the Toffees, a missed penalty was one of five or six splendid scoring opportunities spurned by Romelu Lukaku. It was Anthony Martial who stepped up with a late, late winner to leave Everton’s players looking shell-shocked. On balance, Manchester United were the better team, but Everton missed no end of chances and will be understandably gutted. The outstanding performers: Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney, David De Gea, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingaard and Gerard Deulofeu. United will play Crystal Palace or Watford in the FA Cup final on 21 May.
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Full time at Wembley: Everton 1-2 Manchester United
Manchester United qualify for the FA Cup final in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, with Anthony Martial scoring their winner in the final seconds of added time. It was heartbreaking for Everton’s fans and players, who had put on a remarkable show in the second half after being over-run in the first 45 minutes.
90+3 min: Everton’s players look distraught as Anthony Martial starts and finishes the move that will surely win this semi-final for his team. Surging through the middle, he pounced on a wayward pass from - I think - Phil Jagielka, burst into the penalty area and rifled the ball past Joel Robles. He wheeled away, leaped the advertising hoarding and went to celebrate with Manchester United’s fans ... earning himself a booking.
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GOAL! Everton 1-2 Manchester United (Martial 90)
Anthony Martial scores in injury time to give Manchester United the lead.
90 min: A rare rick from David De Gea, who takes a touch too many as he attempts to control a backpass and almost gifts a goal to Romelu Lukaku. The ball doesn’t break kindly for the Belgian, who holds his face in his hands at the injustice of it all.
88 min: With Everton breaking on another counter-attack, Ander Herrera drags Ross Barkley to the ground, wrapping both hands around the back of his shirt and giving it a good yank. Yellow card for the substitute, then Barkley gets booked too for reacting. Herrera’s play-acting as he went to ground pretending to be hurt probably didn’t help.
87 min: Anthony Martial goes close to scoring with a bicycle kick, but his effort is blocked by James McCarthy, who was up tight against him.
87 min: Manchester United substitution: Marouane Fellaini off, Ander Herrera on.
85 min: Manchester United go forward, with Valencia cutting in from the right, attempting to get the ball into the Everton penalty area. Cleverley blocks and clears. On the touchline, Ander Herrera is preparing to come on, feigning interest in a sheaf of notes being shown to him by a United coach.
84 min: Lukaku will be kicking himself if Everton fail to win this match - he’s missed so many good chances. his hesitation cost him there, when allowing Fellaini to make up the hard yards and get in a wonderful tackle.
82 min: Everton break on a counter-attack and they’ve a four-on-two. Deulofeu pulls the strings, the ball’s played to Lukaku about eight yards out and Fellaini is back to avert the danger with a fantastic tackle. This is brilliant stuff - both sides are really going for it.
80 min: Leighton Baines sneds in a teasing cross form the left, but Lukaku misreads the flight of the ball and is unable to score with what should have been a fairly straightforward header.
79 min: Deulofeu has been wreaking havoc since coming on and goes close to giving Everton the lead . this time he ghosts down the left flank, shoots from a narrow angle and brings a save out of De Gea. The goalkeeper can only parry the ball into the six-yard box and somehow it manages to evade Romelu Lukaku, who was waiting to pounce.
77 min: That was a silly goal for Smalling to concede, but it came on the back of some great play by Everton. Deulofeu was unchallenged as he pranced down the right, before sending in a cross in an attempt to pick out Lukaku. Smalling dived in an attempt to clear the ball with his weaker right foot and sent it whistling past De Gea from close range.
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Manchester United (Smalling 74og)
Chris Smalling slides in to clear a Gerard Deulofeu cross but succeeds only in hacking a right-footed slice past his own goalkeeper.
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74 min: The BBC cameras cut to Ronaldo (Brazilian version) who’s watching from the stands. What an absolutely terrific player that man was.
73 min: The ball breaks for Wayne Rooney on the edge of the Everton penalty area. He shapes to shoot, dummies and then unleashes a pile-driver. John Stones stands firm and blocks.
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71 min: Deulofeu gets on the ball for the first time, skipping through the centre past Marcos Rojo. Wayne Rooney is back to dispossess the substitute.
70 min: Everton substitution: Aaron Lennon off, Gerard Deulofeu on.
67 min: Replays of Romelu Lukaku’s penalty miss show that he struck the ball well. It looked to be heading for the bottom left-hand corner, but David De Gea got down to save with a very strong right hand. Lukasku, it must be said, didn’t do himself too many favours by signposting where he planned to put the ball.
66 min: The transformation in Everton since their penalty miss has been little short of remarkable. Tom Cleverley spurns an opportunity to equalise when he swivels and miskicks a ball from deep, possibly dazzled by the sight of the whites of David De Gea’s eyes.
64 min: Manchester United go close to doubling their lead, with Anthony Martial playing in Marouane Fellaini. His first attempt to dig the ball goalwards is blocked by Robles, while Phil Jagielka dives in to flick the ball back to his goalkeeper with his hand. That should have been a penalty, but referee Anthony Taylor couldn’t see it.
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63 min: Tom Cleverley does brilliantly to beat his man down the left flank and send in a glorious cross for Romelu Lukaku. The big man leaps to head the ball goalwards, but is clattered by his own team-mate Muhamed Besic, who also fancies his chances. Lukaku has a harsh word or two for his team-mate, who was better placed to head the ball home, but didn’t shout.
62 min: Manchester United substitution: Tim Fosu-Mensah off, Antonio Valencia on. Other house-keeping: Wayne Rooney was booked for something or other - possibly dissent - when Everton won that free-kick moments after the penalty save.
60 min: Despite missing that glorious opportunity to equalise from the spot, it’s all Everton at the moment - as if somebody has flicked a switch. Will Manchester United come to rue all their missed opportunities.
58 min: Everton win a free-kick in a decent position. Ross Barkley gets it over the wall and back down, but there’s not enough power on his shot to trouble De Gea unduly.
DE GEA SAVES FROM ROMELU LUKAKU
57 min: Manchester United’s Spanish goalkeeper dives low to his right and gets a strong hand on Lukaku’s penalty. Justice has been served - replays show that shouldn’t have been a spot-kick.
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PENALTY FOR EVERTON!
56 min: Ross Barkley goes down under a challenge from Tim Fosu-Mensah, appeals for a spot-kick and gets one. It looked soft to me - I thought the Manchester United full-back got the ball.
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55 min: Manchester United win a free-kick about 40 yards from the Everton goal. Rooney plays it short to Daley Blind, who attempts to pick out Marouane Fellaini with a curling cross to the far post. Everton clear.
54 min: We’re on the edge of the Everton penalty area. Rashford plays the ball to Martial, who tees up Jesse Lingaard. He pulls a low drive horribly wide from distance.
52 min: Scrappy play from Everton, who are trying to impose themselves on the game but look unable to settle on the ball and string more than a couple of passes together.
50 min: Rashford trips Leighton Baines on the touchline, wide left. It’s a good position for Everton. Tom Cleverley sends the ball into the Manchester United penalty area, where Marouane Fellaini heads clear.
49 min: Chris Smalling concedes a free-kick on the halfway line for a tug on Romelu Lukaku’s shirt. Moments later, Lukaku is fouled again, by Marouane Fellaini, with Everton having made about 10 yards.
47 min: Aaron Lennon attempts to skip past Daley Blind and into the Manchester United penalty area from the right, but finds his progress blocked. He appeals for a free-kick, but none is forthcoming.
46 min: Wayne Rooney attempts to quarter-back another pass from deep into the path of a team-mate, but overhits his effort through to Joel Robles. He’s been outstanding this evening.
Second half at Wembley: Everton 0-1 Manchester United
46 min: Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku get the second half activities under way, with no changes of personnel from either manager.
Half-time at Wembley: Everton 0-1 Manchester United
Manchester United lead Everton by a solitary goal at the interval of a very entertaining FA Cup semi-final. Muhamed Besic will be seeing stars as he drinks his half-time cuppa, such was the lesson he got from Anthony Martial. Time to unleash the Hibbert? I think we all know the answer to that one. They trail 1-0 to a goal from Marouane Fellaini, but are getting their pants pulled down by Manchester United.
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43 min: Everton enjoy a period of sustained - by their standards - possession, but a promising attack down the right comes unstuck when Anthony Martial tracks back to cut out a superfluous Ross Barkley back-heel and play the ball out of defence.
42 min: Fellaini is fouled by Phil Jagielka on the edge of the centre-circle just inside the Everton half. Free-kick for Manchester United. Jagielka escapes a booking, when it looked like referee Anthony Taylor might be about to reach for his pocket.
39 min: Everton attempt to go forward with James McCarthy on the ball, but he’s crowded off the ball in midfield and loses possession.
38 min: Manchester United corner. Daley Blind hacks the ball into the penalty area, where Marouane Fellaini leaps highest and heads wide.
34 min: Well, Mr Fellaini showed no reluctance to rein in his celebration of a goal scored against his former club. He was clearly thrilled to bits and there was no hint of a non-celebration “celebration”. The goal stemmed from great play by Anthony Martial down the right, who bamboozled Besic down the left, before pulling the ball back to the unmarked Fellaini in the penalty area. He slightly mis-hit his effort, but it zipped past Robles regardless.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Manchester United (Fellaini 33)
Marouane Fellaini slots home from about 12 yards after getting on the end of an Anthony Martial pull-back from the byline.
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32 min: Manchester United right-back Tim Fosuh -Mensah does good work down the flank, cuts inside and attempts to unleash a cross into the Everton penalty area, only for Leighton Baines to put a stop to his gallop with a block tackle. Good defending by the wily veteran.
30 min: Yep, a definite lull ... Everton did well to get through the opening 30 minutes without conceding. Having said that, they should also have scored two goals.
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28 min: Marcus Rashford is penalised down near the corner flag for a foul on Phil Jagielka.
27 min: Temporarily at least, Everton seem to have weathered the Manchester United storm that was threatening to engulf them. One suspects if they don’t score first in this match, they could get slaughtered.
25 min: Leighton Baines gets forward down the left flank and curls a cross into the Manchester United penalty area. It’s too high for Lukaku.
24 min: Looking in danger of being over-run by Manchester United’s pace and movement, Everton win a throw-in in Manchester United territory that allows them a bit of much-needed respite.
23 min: Marcus Rashford gets on the end of a Marouane Fellaini knock-down at the far post to volley goalwards fairly tamely from about 15 yards. Joel Robles gets down to make the save.
22 min: Anthony Martial blasts the ball high over the cross-bar after being played through by a deft touch from Jesse Lingaard. A bit of finesse wouldn’t have gone amiss, there.
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20 min: Just 20 minutes in and it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable match so far. Everton have had two big chances to Manchester United’s one, but it’s the team from Old Trafford who are having the better of the play.
18 min: Marcus Rashford skips around Darron Gibson on his way into the Everton penalty from the right-hand side, prompting Leighton Baines to dive in and put the ball out for a corner. Daley Blind takes it short and ... well, you can probably guess the rest.
16 min: Everton take advantage of Manchester United’s high line to lump the ball long for Lukaku to chase again. Cleverley’s the provider and Lukaku finds himself through on goal for the second time, but another leaden footed touch ruins his chance of opening the scoring. One again he’s forced to shoot from a tight angle, making the save easy for De Gea at the near post.
14 min: Not for the first time, Manchester United target Everton’s makeshift right-back, Muhamed Besic. Anthony Martial takes the ball around him, but the Bosnian recovers well to concede a corner from which nothing comes.
12 min: Wayne Rooney picks out Lingaard with a wonderful pass from deep. The young winger runs on to it as it drops from the sky and volleys straight at Robles from about six yards out. Manchester United should have scored there. Rooney’s playing brilliantly in these opening minutes.
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11 min: Everton hack clear after great work from |Jesse Lingaard and Marcus Rashfordin and around the Everton penalty area. As Rashfford shapes to shoot, John Stones dives in with a splendid tackle. The ball pings around the penalty area before it’s hacked clear.
10 min: It’s entertaining so far, if a little error-strewn. Ross Barkley gets the ball to feet not too far outside the Manchester United penalty area and unleashes a low drive. Well, more of a low trundle, which doesn’t trouble David De Gea in the slightest.
9 min: Rooney is prominent again, as Manchester United win a free-kick wide on the left. He curls the ball into the Everton penalty area, where Marcos Rojo loses John Stones but sends his downward header wide.
8 min: A tip of the hat to Wayne Rooney, there, who performed heroics to get back and be in position to clear that Lukaku effort off the line.
5 min: Chance! From the corner, Everton launch a counter-attack, punting the ball long to Romelu Lukaku. He wins the header and chests the ball past Daley Blind to find himself clean through on goal. He takes the ball a mite too wide with a poor touch, shoots from a very narrow angle and watches in horror as the ball is cleared off the line by Wayne Rooney. If he’d squared the ball, Tom Cleverley was up in support.
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4 min: Anhony Martial wins the first corner of the game for Manchester United after showing nimble feet in the Everton penalty area, trying a shot from a narrow angle. John Stones dives in to deflect the ball out.
3 min: Manchester United try to go forward, with Daley Blind playing the ball out wide to Anthony Martal. He plays it inside to Rooney, whose ball to Lingaard on the right touchline sails out for a throw-in.
2 min: Making only his fourth start of the season, Darron Gibson is penalised for a foul on Marouane Fellaini in the middle of the park.
Everton 0-0 Manchester United - they're off
Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford get the ball rolling and within three seconds, a hideous first touch from Daley Blind almost results in him being embarrassed by Ross Barkley. He gets away with it, but only just.
Pre-match niceties ...
Phil Jagielka and Wayne Rooney exchange handshakes and pennants in the centre-circle and Manchester United prepare to get the game under way. Here’s hoping it’s a good one.
Not long now ...
The teams march out on to the Wembley pitch and line up on either side of the match officials. Everton’s players wear their usual blue shirts, white shorts and white socks, while Manchester United’s wear red shirts, black shorts and black socks.
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The stadium has lifted the mood of Evertonians here at Wembley. We need the first goal though as things could change quickly @bglendenning
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) April 23, 2016
Louis van Gaal speaks ...
Asked what he thinks of being in the FA Cup semi-final, he says he doesn’t know, because it hasn’t started yet. Asked if he’d like to be in the final, he says: “First we have to win from Everton, that’s our big challenge today.” He’s then quizzed on his policy of picking youngsters and asked if “his young stars” can shine today: “ I hope so,” he says. “You never know, but I have the confidence in them, that’s why they are in the line-up.”
The inevitable question about his future is posed and he looks very irritated: “I’m very bored with all the discussion,” he says, before stressing the importance of today’s game” “It is always important when you are in the semi-final,” he says. “When you are so close, then you want to win. It is also a title and for every player and every manager it is a chance.”
In the BBC studio ...
BBC pundit Alan Shearer is discussing John Stones: “He has great potential, but the penny has to drop sooner or later, he can’t keep making the same mistakes,” he says.
Everton v Manchester United line-ups ...
Everton: Robles, Besic, Stones, Jagielka, Baines, McCarthy, Gibson, Lennon, Barkley, Cleverley, Lukaku.
Subs: Hibbert, Oviedo, Mirallas, Deulofeu, Osman, Howard, Pennington.
Man Utd: De Gea, Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Fellaini, Carrick, Lingard, Rooney, Martial, Rashford.
Subs: Depay, Mata, Romero, Ander Herrera, Valencia, Schneiderlin, Darmian.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
No start for Pennington ...
Everton have announced their team and he’s not in it, but he will start on the bench. We’ll have the full line-ups for you very shortly.
Everton starting XI (to play @ManUtd): Joel, Baines, Gibson, Stones, Jagielka (c), Lukaku, Lennon, Cleverley, McCarthy, Besic, Barkley.
— Everton (@Everton) April 23, 2016
The word on Wembley Way ...
Reports suggest that Matthew Pennington may make his senior debut in the heart of Everton’s defence this afternoon. The 21-year-old has been with the club since he was 11 and has previously spent time on loan at Tranmere, Coventry City and Walsall. We’ll have team news any minute now, when we’ll find out if his appearance for Everton will be at Wembley in an FA Cup semi-final. No pressure, Matthew ...
It's FA Cup semi-final time ...
Having thoroughly embarrassed themselves in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby Everton travel to Wembley to take on Manchester United in the first of this season’s FA Cup semi-finals. Both teams boast large numbers among their support who are unhappy with their respective managers, but will no doubt be fully behind their teams as Everton seek to win their first trophy since 1995, while Manchester United chase their first piece of silverware since Sir Alex Ferguson left his post at the end of the 2013 season. Kick-off is at 5.15pm BST but we’ll be here with team news and build-up an hour or so before that.