Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has urged his players to use Sunday's dramatic FA Cup quarter-final win over rivals Liverpool as a turning point for their season.
United looked to be heading out of the competition when Liverpool led 2-1 in regular time at Old Trafford after goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah in the first half had cancelled out Scott McTominay's 10th-minute opener. However, United substitute Antony struck with three minutes remaining to force extra time.
United were again on the verge of elimination when Harvey Elliott scored for Liverpool in the 105th minute, only for Marcus Rashford to equalise for the hosts. Substitute Amad Diallo then sealed a stunning victory with a strike in the dying seconds to send United into the semi-finals, before getting sent off for a second yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration.
The victory triggered wild scenes of celebration among United fans amid a season with little to celebrate so far. Sixth in the Premier League and in danger of missing out on next season's Champions League, United were dumped out of Europe's premier competition this term by finishing bottom of their group.
But Ten Hag believes Sunday's victory can ignite United to finish the season strongly. They will now be firm favourites to reach the final after drawing Championship side Coventry City in the semi-finals. The other match will be contested by holders Manchester City and Chelsea.
"Every team needs such moments in a season and we never had that moment," Ten Hag said. "This could be that moment where the team can really get the belief and the energy so that they can do amazing things.
"And I think when you can beat Liverpool in the way we did, you can beat any opponent. So it's up to us to prove that point. I said it also on Friday, and today we did."
United have been frequently criticised this season for lacking fight but that was certainly not the case against Liverpool, and Ten Hag praised his players for their determination to get back into the match.
“It was fantastic and the team showed the resilience and determination, to win this game," he said. "We have had so many setbacks, so I’m really proud of the team. Not only in this game, but the whole season, we have so many setbacks, and they can deal with it. They are very strong, mentally, and it helps, of course, that the fans go behind us. But we energised the fans, they got behind us.”
It was the second time in three weeks that Liverpool played an extra-time match following their League Cup final victory over Chelsea, and manager Jurgen Klopp admitted his side showed the first signs of fatigue from a draining schedule, but they did not go down without a fight.
Defeat was just Liverpool's fifth in all competitions this season, two of which came with weakened sides in the group stages of the Europa League.
"That was the first time I saw my team really struggling. That's how it is, we played a lot of football recently," said Klopp. "Congratulations to United, they fought extremely hard as well."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
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His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
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Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
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Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
