West Ham is looking for its first trip to the FA Cup semifinals since 2006, when it lost to Liverpool on penalties in the final.
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The ties will be played in Wembley on the 23 and 24 of April, a blockbuster FA Cup weekend.
The frustration of the home crowd was audible and soon focused on United’s aimless attacks, which saw them fail to get a shot on the West Ham goal in the opening period.
A late goal from Anthony Martial rescued Manchester United from further embarrassment and now as set up a FA Cup replay with West Ham.
Van Gaal, speaking to the BBC, acknowledged that: “West Ham were the better team before they scored, but then we created chances too” as the team were determined to make sure that they got back into the game in what was an important game for the club. However, arch-rivals Liverpool have made that a hard prospect with a 2-0 victory in the first leg of their round of 16 clash.
Manchester United will play Everton in the FA Cup semifinals if Louis van Gaal’s side beats West Ham in a quarterfinal replay.
“[On Sunday] we didn’t but we grew as the game went on and the second half we were a lot better”.
“Our fantastic run has come to an end on a day where we felt that our performance deserved a win”, said Wenger, whose side replied through substitute Danny Welbeck in the 88th minute.
West Ham had an appeal for a penalty rejected after Dimitri Payet appeared to be brought down by Marcos Rojo, but referee Martin Atkinson ignored the appeals. “It is definitely not a dive”.
“Sometimes you have to hold your hands up, it was a great free-kick but I thought we showed character to come back into the game and push for the victor”.
“I don’t think it was a foul for their goal – it was”, he said.
Van Gaal on the other hand believed Payet was guilty, he said: “He was more or less diving. I don’t want to spoil the game talking about the referees – overall, he did a good job, but there have been a couple of situations, crucial ones, that have gone against us”.
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“It was very doom and gloom [around the place] but we knew that in two days we had to get our heads right and we had a very big game”, Smalling said of the Anfield defeat.
