Got the winner, got sent off
Amad Diallo scored Manchester United’s winning FA Cup goal against bitter rivals Liverpool – then got sent off for taking off his shirt.
The 21-year-old Ivory Coast forward gave United a 4-3 victory in the dying seconds of extra-time in a gripping quarterfinal at Old Trafford yesterday.
But the substitute was promptly shown a second yellow card for whipping off his shirt to celebrate his match-winning feat.
He told a TV interviewer after the match that he forgot he already had a yellow card before taking off his top.
Asked if it was the most important goal of his career, Dallo said: “I think so, important moment, against Liverpool. This is football, you have to believe every moment.”
Dallo’s clincher – a low shot to the bottom corner – came in stoppage time at the end of extra-time.
United led 1-0 after a Scott McTominay goal in the 10th minute, but Liverpool levelled, then went ahead with goals to Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah on the cusp of halftime.
Then some canny substitutions by manager Erik ten Hag brought United back into the game and earned them an April 21 semifinal at Wembley against second-tier giantkillers Coventry City.
Dos Santos Antony came off the bench in the 71st minute and equalised in the 87th to take the tie into extra-time.
Liverpool again edged ahead, 3-2, through Harvey Ellliot’s strike, then United’s Marcus Rashford tied it up in the 112th minute.
Diallo, who had entered the game not long before the end of regulation time, then supplied United’s coup de grace after a superb assist by 19-year-old winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Ten Hag praised United for “very good spirit, very good mentality”.
“First 35 minutes for me was the best minutes of the season. But then gaps between the lines and you can’t allow this against Liverpool, one of the best teams in Europe. So we had to change things. We have a team for the future that is very good.”
The other quarterfinal was also high scoring, with Premier League club Chelsea needing two injury-time goals to beat second tier promotion hopefuls Leicester City 4-2.
Chelsea seemed to be cruising at halftime after goals to Marc Cucurella and England midfielder Cole Palmer.
But Leicester stormed back in the second half, profiting from an own goal by Chelsea’s Axel Disasi, who sliced the ball past his own keeper from 40m. They then levelled through Stephy Mavididi’s 62nd minute strike.
But Chelsea settled the Stamford Bridge crowd’s nerves with two goals in stoppage time to Carney Chukwuemeka and then Noni Madueke six minutes later.
Chelsea will meet FA Cup holders Manchester City in a semifinal at Wembley.