Watford produced one of the great FA Cup comebacks by coming from two goals down to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 after extra time of a memorable semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Two-goal substitute Gerard Deulofeu proved Watford’s hero as they reached the FA Cup final for the first time in 35 years in astonishing fashion.
The Spaniard scored a sensational individual goal to drag his side back into the match when they were 2-0 down with 11 minutes left and then slotted home the winner in the opening period of extra time.
Striker Troy Deeney also enhanced his folk hero status at Watford by nervelessly converting a penalty with the final kick of stoppage time in the 94th minute to enable the Hornets to take the game into extra time.
A first-half header from Matt Doherty and a dazzling piece of skill which saw Mexican Raul Jimenez chest down and volley home acrobatically just after the hour had looked set to be enough for Wolves to prevail in the all-Premier League clash.
Yet an equally virtuoso 79th-minute goal from Deulofeu — a magnificently executed curling chip — set up the amazing finale which saw Deeney blast home from the spot after being brought down by Leander Dendoncker.
Spanish international Deulofeu then delivered the killer blow a minute before the break of extra time, driving past Conor Coady on the right before slipping the ball across John Ruddy and into the net.
It earned Watford a date with overwhelming favourites Manchester City, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in Saturday’s other semi-final, in the final back at Wembley on May 18.
It also gave them the chance to play in only their second FA Cup final, after losing to Everton in 1984.
The “impossible” quadruple dream remains intact for Manchester City after an early headed goal from Gabriel Jesus sealed a scrappy 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday to put them into the FA Cup final.p
Jesus launched himself into the air to connect decisively in the third minute but City never hit top gear and they rather laboured to victory in an instantly forgettable match.
Nevertheless, after bagging the League Cup, being locked in a titanic battle with Liverpool for the Premier League title and in the Champions League quarter-finals, Pep Guardiola’s side remain on course for an unprecedented clean sweep.
It was a tired-looking display against Premier League relegation battlers Brighton, though, and City will need to rediscover their spark ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Champions League last-eight tie.
“It is almost impossible to achieve everything, that is the truth. Our fans will come, more than today, for the final, we are losing players every game but still we will try to do it.
“I am happy to be in the final, we extend our season by one more week and we are happy for that.”
Back at Wembley where they beat Chelsea on penalties to win the League Cup in February, City were huge favourites to get past a Brighton side with other things on their mind.
Whatever plan Brighton boss Chris Hughton had cooked up to stop a City side who had won 20 of their last 22 matches in all competitions was in tatters after only three minutes.
In one of the only fluid moves they put together all afternoon at a less-than-full Wembley, Kevin de Bruyne whipped in a superb low cross and Jesus arrived at the far post to plant a diving header past Brighton keeper Matthew Ryan.
The Brighton fans, who greatly outnumbered City’s in the 71,000 crowd, must have feared the worst in the south coast’s club’s first FA Cup semi-final since 1983 when they beat Sheffield Wednesday before losing the final to Manchester United in a replay after the first game ended 2-2.
But the onslaught never arrived.
And had City fullback Kyle Walker been shown a red card during the first half after a clash with Alireza Jahanbakhsh the outcome could have been different.
REACTED ANGRILY
Walker reacted angrily after being shoved in the back and as the players squared up face to face, he appeared to move his head into Jahanbakhsh forehead.
The incident went to the VAR, which is being used in the FA Cup, but referee Anthony Taylor was not required to send Walker off, although he was replaced at halftime by Danilo.
“I have seen it a few times and my opinion is it is a red card,” Hughton said. “If Alireza goes down clutching his head it would have been a different outcome.”
Brighton gradually grew in belief and but for a superb goal-line clearance by Aymeric Laporte they could have drawn level, the Frenchman hacking clear just when Glenn Murray seemed poised to equalise early in the second half.
Hughton’s side caused the occasional problem from set-pieces and with City unusually lethargic the result was never in the bag until referee Anthony Taylor blew for fulltime.
City will face Watford.