FA Cup Semi-Final : Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur - Player Ratings

Manchester United will contest their second FA Cup final in three seasons after coming from behind to defeat Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.

Dele Alli gave the Lilywhites the lead, directing Christian Eriksen’s low cross into an open net with David De Gea taken out of the equation.

Jose Mourinho’s side equalised soon after as Alexis Sanchez continued his rich goal-scoring form at Wembley by heading in from Paul Pogba’s well-floated cross after the Frenchman managed to dispossess Moussa Dembele.

United assumed control of proceedings and were duly rewarded when Ander Herrera – who was excellent in all facets – neatly struck his shot from Romelu Lukaku’s mis-controlled pass through the legs of Ben Davies and past stand-in keeper Michel Vorm.

Spurs were unable to find any clear openings since, as United will seek to finish their season with a trophy when they face either Chelsea or Southampton in the final at the same venue on 19th May.

Here are the player ratings from the semi-final:

---

Tottenham

Kane was efficiently tied down by the United defenders in the second half

Michel Vorm – 5.5

Vorm was completely wrong-footed for both goals, failing to get across as Sanchez planted his header to cancel out Spurs’ opener and Herrera completed the turnaround with a well-timed strike. He made a couple of routine saves.

Kieran Trippier – 6.5

Trippier showed positivity in the first half, giving Young a testing period by going forward and linking with Eriksen. His offensive impact deteriorated in the second half.

Davinson Sanchez – 6.5

Sanchez had an impressive game, dealing with United’s set-pieces which were a regularity during the game.

The ex-Ajax centre-half could maybe have done more to get across Lukaku and prevent him from meeting Sanchez’s pass in the build-up to United’s winner.

Jan Vertonghen – 6.5

Vertonghen’s timing of the jump in reaction to Pogba’s pass was ill-timed, giving Alexis the opportunity to head towards goal.

He organised his man-marking to defend United’s set-pieces professionally and also slotted in at left-back, the position he usually adopts while playing for Belgium, after Davies was withdrawn for Lucas Moura.

The switch could not bring the desired effect.

Ben Davies - 5

Davies could be judged as the guilty party for both goals, firstly for allowing Sanchez to beat him to the header from Pogba’s ball and later failing to deal with Lukaku’s uncontrolled lay-off, albeit he was expertly shielded off the ball by Lingard.

Though his ambitions to go forward were creditable, these goal-bound moments ultimately led to his downfall.

Eric Dier – 6.5

Dier nearly scored on the stroke of half-time, his shot from long-range taking a deflection off Smalling and striking the woodwork with De Gea rooted.

He also put in a last-man tackle to win the ball off Rashford after the forward looked certain to kill the game on being released clean through, hesitating to get his shot away.

His passing from midfield was mostly purposeful and risk-free and was an important aspect of Spurs’ dominance in the early stages of the semi-final.

United’s fluidity in the second half and later defensive organisation diminished his influence on proceedings.

Moussa Dembele – 6

The Belgian midfielder showed the intensity of a box-to-box midfielder in the first half – winning duels and being sharp on the ball.

But he was punished by one lacklustre moment, losing possession to Pogba, who went on to provide a sublime assist for Sanchez to score the equaliser. He was well shut out by United’s resurgent midfield in the second half.

Christian Eriksen - 7

Eriksen was the chief playmaker for Alli’s goal, running into acres of space with Young nowhere in the picture and Pogba struggling to make up ground.

He had enough time to pace the ball across the face of goal for Alli to tap in and put Spurs in front. The Danish star came close himself soon after, skewing his shot from close range despite having a fair vision of the goal.

He was the pick of the Spurs bunch, locating team-mates expertly to provide passes and attempting to weave through a tight United defence in the latter stages.

Dele Alli – 6.5

Alli was one of several Spurs players whose performances dropped in the second half

Alli set the semi-final alight with a good finish from Eriksen’s cross. His movement around the box and partnership with Harry Kane posed an issue for United’s defenders early on, but he was well marshalled and eventually tied down as the second half unfolded.

Son Heung-min – 6

A brilliant first half for the Korean – where he bossed the flank against Valencia – was mirrored by an ineffective second half, where the Ecuadorian was assisted by his team-mates to prevent him from an escapade towards the byline.

United had clearly done their homework on him.

Harry Kane – 5.5

A promising first half for the prolific striker was replaced by an uncharacteristically listless display in the latter stages of the semi-final tie.

From a handful of neat touches, including a layoff for Eriksen for his skewed shot, it was a series of misplaced passes and an inability to turn defenders in order to buy some shooting space.

He was given no room whatsoever by a United defence who ensured that Spurs were made to play in their shell after they went in front.

Substitutes:

Lucas Moura – 6

Moura passed the ball meticulously within a crowded United defence, but could not effect the final product.

Victor Wanyama – 5

The Kenyan midfielder replaced Dembele, but could not find a way past United’s two rows of defence that were set up to defend their comeback lead.

Erik Lamela – N/A

Lamela came on in the 86th minute and didn’t get the time he needed to make an impact.

Manchester United

Phil Jones was rock-solid for United

David De Gea – 6.5

De Gea was not tested during the game, apart from watching a deflected Dier shot rattle the post and easily getting behind Eriksen’s shot from outside the box.

He couldn't do much about Alli’s goal.

Antonio Valencia - 6

Valencia was constantly out-paced by Son along the wide areas, allowing the latter to get balls across the box.

He was outrun by Alli as well, in the lead up to his goal. He was probably fortunate not to receive a red card for a two-footed challenge in the first half.

With the help of Lingard, he was able to hold his defensive position in the second half, hence dissipating the threat of Son.

Chris Smalling - 7

Smalling had initial issues dealing with Kane’s movement in the vicinity of the box, but was excellent in the second half, getting a foot in the way of shots.

His positioning and man-marking for set-pieces was much improved from recent games.

Phil Jones – 7.5

Jones may well have had the game of his season, posing as an almost impenetrable figure in the United back four.

He read the game to perfection to shut out a Spurs counter-attack in the second half and judged the flight of crosses to deal with them with relative ease.

He ensured that the duo of Alli and Kane were given absolutely no room to drive the ball through the defence in the second half.

Ashley Young – 6.5

Young could be deemed indirectly responsible for conceding the goal, leaving Pogba to fill in for him to unsuccessfully track Eriksen down the wing.

Like most of his team-mates, he displayed a marked improvement in the second half, getting into defensive positions quickly to crowd out the likes of Eriksen and Moura.

Ander Herrera - 8

Herrera scored the winner and was an invaluable presence in both defence and attack

Herrera had a slow start, losing the ball to Dembele numerous times, but recovered well enough to get involved in United’s resurgence after the equaliser.

He passed the ball beautifully in midfield, often releasing Lukaku, Lingard or Pogba in space. His performance in the second half set the tone for a remarkable turnaround for United.

Not only did he get his name on the scoresheet by striking a powerful shot through the legs of Davies and past Vorm, he was a pivotal member in most of the other attacks.

In addition, he was seen recovering possession from Spurs in his side’s defensive third through vital tackles, reflecting the ideal all-rounder’s performance.

Nemanja Matic - 7

The Serbian shielder’s work-rate was commendable, chasing every ball and making important challenges to come in the way of dangerous Spurs attacks.

Paul Pogba – 7.5

Pogba had a poor beginning to the game, failing to cover Eriksen as the Danish playmaker was released into oceans of space by the Colombian defender Sanchez in a move which resulted in Alli getting a tap-in.

However, he deserves credit for the equaliser, dispossessing Dembele and putting in a perfectly floated pass for Sanchez to head it past a wrong-footed Vorm.

He was a transformed footballer in the second half, timing his long passes to amazing perfection, especially one which was sent 50 to 60 yards across the field to send Lukaku through, only for the Belgian to scuff his shot.

He delivered on all fronts, be it the weight of passing or the need to contribute to maintaining a defensive shape in order to hold on to a lead.

Jesse Lingard - 7

Lingard made channelling runs through Spurs’ defence to provide the central midfielders with a passing option.

His intensity and desire to construct a chance for United in the 20-25 yard area was top notch.

He played the decisive role in the winner without actually touching the ball, blocking Davies from getting a chance to clear as Herrera approached from midfield to take a shot.

Romelu Lukaku – 6.5

Lukaku must be struck down for a couple of ordinary finishes – one in the first half with a header that was directed tamely over and the other for fluffing his strike after Pogba had done all the hard work to locate him from half the pitch away.

His general play was decent, using his physical presence to hold the ball and move forward with it while also occasionally covering the wings to act as a crossing source.

Alexis Sanchez – 7.5

The Chilean’s work-ethic has never been in doubt and his display at Wembley was just another example of how he strives to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

He took on opponents one-on-one, though not always successfully, but his hunger to win the ball back was brilliant.

A slide tackle to dispossess Dembele and the reading of Pogba’s cross to peel away from Ben Davies and get the header in were just a couple of many positive attributes displayed by the January signing.

He initiated the move for the second goal, skipping away from Trippier in a flash to find space to pass to Lukaku, who in-turn laid the ball to Herrera to finish.

Substitutes:

Matteo Darmian – 6.5

Darmian replaced a tired and cramping Valencia late in the game. He did the job expected of him, seeing out the remainder of the game by keeping Son, and later Lamela, in check.

Marcus Rashford - 5

Rashford had a forgettable few minutes as a substitute, getting himself a booking for a dive and displaying hesitancy to shoot when he was sent clear through on goal, allowing defenders to get across and win the ball off him.

Marouane Fellaini – N/A

He was brought on in added-time beyond injury-time.