David de Gea, the Manchester United goalkeeper, has revealed that he attempted to increase the pressure on Brighton’s penalty takers during the FA Cup semi-final shootout on Sunday.
After a 0-0 draw, United won the shootout 7-6 to reach the final. The victory was a relief for the team following their 3-0 defeat by Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final second leg just three days earlier.
De Gea had a difficult time in the Sevilla game, making errors for each of the home side’s goals. However, he had a much better performance at Wembley, making several excellent saves to keep a clean sheet.
Despite not saving any of Brighton’s seven penalties during the shootout, David de Gea made an effort to put added pressure on the opposing team’s penalty takers.
He particularly targeted Solly March, who missed his penalty, allowing Victor Lindelof to secure the win for Manchester United.
De Gea delayed each of the penalties by holding onto the ball for a few seconds and standing over the penalty spot, aiming to create minor delays for the Brighton players.
All seven of Manchester United’s takers found the back of the net, helping them to reach the final of the FA Cup.
What De Gea said about United
David De Gea was asked about his penalty tactic after Manchester United’s victory in the FA Cup semi-final after he failed to stop even a single one and he explained the criteria behind the spot kicks
He responded by saying that they had prepared for the penalties as they always do, and he tried to put pressure on each of Brighton’s takers.
De Gea was pleased with the way his team took their penalties, and he expressed delight at reaching the final.
“It is a long way until the final but it will be a big game against one of the best teams in the world. But we have shown that we can beat them. There is a lot of time before then, so we must finish in top four first before giving everything to the final,” De Gea said.
De Gea said that they had already won one trophy and reached another final, and that they were doing better in the league compared to the previous season.
He added that the team was continuously improving and they needed to be prepared for what lies ahead.