Liverpool await a dead-ball salvo, Luton have to keep their chins up and things could get spicy at City Ground

David Moyes will surely have taken note of Liverpool’s struggle to defend set pieces against Everton. Jürgen Klopp, who must be delighted with a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, should prepare his team for another bruising test when they visit West Ham. For Moyes, this is a chance to repair the sizeable damage to his reputation caused by last weekend’s collapse at Selhurst Park. West Ham were 4-0 down to Palace after 31 minutes and are preparing to part company with Moyes at the end of the season, but they should take heart from how Everton unsettled Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. Everton scored twice from set pieces and West Ham pose a similar threat from dead balls. James Ward-Prowse’s deliveries towards Tomas Soucek, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio will have Klopp’s defenders sweating. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Fulham v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Newcastle v Sheffield United, Saturday 3pm

Manchester United v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

Ethan Wheatley became the latest homegrown talent to make their first-team debut in the win over Sheffield United

The quarter of a millenia has been 93 years in the making at Old Trafford and it was poignant that a local lad, Ethan Wheatley, became the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for Manchester United’s senior men’s team on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old had spent the previous evening scoring two goals to help defeat Manchester City to win the Premier League Cup. Wheatley, who like his teammate Kobbie Mainoo was born in Stockport, became the 101st player from Greater Manchester to make the leap from academy to elite when he replaced Rasmus Højlund late on against Sheffield United.

With 81 minutes gone Bruno Fernandes collected a Kobbie Mainoo pass and with a swish of his left foot fired a laser past Wes Foderingham and Manchester United were 3-2 ahead. The question now was could they, at last, hang on to a lead.

This was answered emphatically by Rasmus Højlund, whose strike as the end of regulation time neared gave Erik ten Hag’s team security and was the best way to close before a watching Jason Wilcox, the new technical director, who will lead the football department until Dan Ashworth joins from Newcastle.

• ‘Anchoring’ would tie wages to bottom club’s TV revenue
• United said to prefer model of higher investment across league

Manchester United will push back against new proposals that would change the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), creating the possibility of more discord within the competition.

The club is understood to be strongly opposed to the introduction of “anchoring” for the top flight, a system whereby the biggest spenders in the league would be tethered to the income of the last-placed club.

Erik ten Hag has called media coverage of Manchester United's win over Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final a 'disgrace'. Having a 3-0 lead at Wembley with 20 minutes to go and then won on penalties, United were criticised by pundits and fans. Asked if he understood the response, Ten Hag said: 'No, absolutely not ... is it [the result] embarrassing? No, the reaction from you [the media] was embarrassing ... For me as a manager, four cup finals in four years. The comments are a disgrace.'

• Ten Hag calls reaction to Manchester United’s win over Coventry a ‘disgrace’

• Dutchman hits out at claims that victory was ‘embarrassing’
• Manager also defends Antony over ear-cupping celebration

Erik ten Hag has called the comments regarding Manchester United’s victory over Coventry in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, in which they allowed a three-goal lead to slip, a “disgrace”.

United were 3-0 ahead against the Championship side going into the 71st minute of the game and seemingly comfortable only for Mark Robins’ team to stage a remarkable comeback and force extra time, with their third goal coming in the 95th minute. While United ultimately progressed to the final by winning 4-2 in a penalty shootout they received criticism for the ultimately narrow manner of their triumph. Prior to Sheffield United’s visit to Old Trafford on Wednesday, Ten Hag was asked if he could understand this reaction and made clear his feelings on the matter.

Head coach has been hampered by injuries but has not established a discernible playing style – while Thomas Tuchel will be available

With Erik ten Hag’s job at Manchester United safe until the summer, the focus turns to whether or not the club will, and indeed should, keep the Dutchman in the long term. While Sir Jim Ratcliffe controls United’s football policy, the final decision on Ten Hag’s future may well be influenced by the judgment of Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, the incoming technical director and chief executive respectively. (Presuming compensation is not agreed with Newcastle that would allow Dan Ashworth to begin his role as head of football at Old Trafford before the summer.) We assess the case for and against those in power sticking with the current manager beyond the current campaign.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Troy Townsend and John Brewin as Coventry go so close to one of the greatest FA Cup comebacks ever

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On the podcast today; total agony for Coventry, inches away from a winner in injury time that would have seen them complete the most unlikely of turnarounds to beat Manchester United 4-3 and reach the FA Cup final.

• Dutchman safe until summer despite scare against Coventry
• Bruno Fernandes calls on team to focus on rest of season

Erik ten Hag remains safe as Manchester United manager until the end of the season, with Sir Jim ­Ratcliffe having no intent to remove the Dutchman despite the increased pressure on him following Sunday’s alarming FA Cup win over Coventry.

United were in control at 3-0 until Mark Robins’s team staged a remarkable comeback, scoring three times in 29 minutes to force extra time. In the extra half an hour, Ellis Simms hit the crossbar and Victor Torp scored what appeared to be the winner, but his effort was ruled out for offside after the intervention of the VAR. United won 4-2 on penalties.

The 82-year-old’s impact on football goes far beyond his own success with the advice he gives to up-and-coming managers

At around this time in 2006, soon after Chelsea beat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge to secure a second successive league title, Sir Alex Ferguson’s phone rang. It was some bloke called Aidy Boothroyd, at the time just some gobby, upstart young coach who had somehow landed his Watford team in the Championship playoffs. “I phoned him up, asked for some advice and he gave me some pearls,” Boothroyd said later. “He lent me a couple of books and he’s always been at the end of the phone if I ever need any help. I think he does that for everybody.”

I remember being surprised by this at the time. Ferguson was 64, had already retired once, had won eight English league titles, was at the time the subject of savage and, it soon transpired, wildly misplaced criticism due to his side’s poor performance (they still finished second), and was just gearing up to win the league again in each of the next three years and five of the next seven. He had, in short, plenty on his plate already without being pestered for tips by fanboys. And yet there he was, lending books to Aidy Boothroyd. “He will always pick up the phone or phone you back if he can’t get to you the first time,” Boothroyd said the following year. “I’ve never known him not to call back.”

Manchester United snatch chaos from jaws of serenity, Nicolas Jackson misfires and Liverpool stay in hunt

Jammy, jammy Man United. To be fair, they did find a new way to be hopeless. Instead of the usual mayhem, they were in total control for 70 minutes, barely letting Coventry have a shot. But then, somehow, they snatched chaos from the jaws of serenity. ITV, and all their teatime viewers, couldn’t believe their luck as a cakewalk turned into a classic. United threw away a 3-0 lead, and for a minute, right at the end of extra time, they were 4-3 down – only for the VAR to come to their rescue, after he had failed to when they conceded a penalty. We were witnessing history, comedy, tragedy, the lot. Casemiro took the first penalty and missed. Destiny was surely calling to Coventry, but André Onana rose to the occasion, flying to his right to paw away one penalty, craftily engineering a miss from another, and saving Erik ten Hag’s job. For now, anyway. Tim de Lisle

Match report: Coventry 3-3 Manchester United (2-4 pens)

Match report: Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea

Match report: Fulham 1-3 Liverpool

Match report: Wolves 0-2 Arsenal

Match report: Everton 2-0 Nottingham Forest

Match report: Sheffield United 1-4 Burnley

Match report: Aston Villa 3-1 Bournemouth

Mark Robins, the Coventry City manager, was full of praise for his side after they fought back from three goals down to almost knock Manchester Untied out of the FA Cup. Coventry narrowly missed out on a place in the FA Cup final after losing on penalties following a dramatic game. Robins' side thought they had won right at the end of extra time when Victor Torp had put them 4-3 up but his goal was disallowed for a marginal offside against Haji Wright, sending the game to penalties. Despite walking away as victors, Ten Hag insisted that United 'got away with it' and have a lot to learn.

• Manchester Utd survive epic Coventry comeback to reach FA Cup final

• Erik ten Hag bemoans Manchester United’s ‘very low levels’ in FA Cup scare

• Victor Torp’s torment: the greatest ever FA Cup moment that wasn’t

• “There was a lack of discipline … today we got away with it”
• United win on penalties after Coventry’s late comeback

Erik ten Hag admitted Manchester United “got away with it” after they somehow survived an epic Coventry comeback from 3-0 down to seal victory in the penalty shootout and set up a rematch of last year’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.

United appeared to be cruising towards an easy victory when Bruno Fernandes added to first-half goals from Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire just before the hour mark. But having opted to withdraw the outstanding Kobbie Mainoo from midfield, Ten Hag watched on in horror as Coventry hit back through Ellis Simms and Callum O’Hare before Haji Wright’s added-time penalty took the game to extra time.

Coventry fans now young will grow old still remembering those 90 seconds of unimaginable bliss at the end of extra time

Afterwards, and in perhaps their first act of restraint all afternoon, Manchester United had the judgment and basic dignity not to celebrate too vigorously. Rasmus Højlund offered a few fist pumps after his winning penalty and Antony cupped an arrogant ear towards the Coventry fans, but for the most part United’s players headed for their beaten opponents in the centre circle, clasped hands and slapped shoulders, consoled and commiserated. Respectful of the gulf between them, these two footballing worlds collided, briefly dissolving into each other, and eventually going their separate ways.

How unevenly football’s joy is parcelled out. The United end was empty within seconds of the final kick, their fans already heading back to the tube station in anticipation of a fifth trip to Wembley in the space of 15 months. For Coventry’s fans, meanwhile, the memories of this game, and this day, and this comeback, will sustain them for decades. Fans who are now young will grow old still remembering those 90 seconds of unimaginable bliss at the end of extra time, those golden moments after Victor Torp’s winning goal hit the net and before it had been ruled out for offside. No wonder their end of the stadium was still packed 15 minutes after full time, trying to eke out every last moment, gulp in every last breath. Who knows when they will feel this way again?

Coventry captain Ben Sheaf excelled in midfield, as did Kobbie Mainoo, but it was a tough afternoon for Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Bradley Collins
Not much he could do about any of the goals but produced a stunning save to tip over Marcus Rashford’s shot from close range and outfoxed Casemiro in the shootout. 7

This was the grandmother and granddaddy of all FA Cup ties which at a breathless close had Manchester United somehow scraping through 4-2 on penalties, after a beyond ­valiant Coventry City reeled in a 3-0 deficit at 71 minutes, forcing extra time in the 95th of the regulation, via Haji Wright’s cooler than cool ­equalising penalty.

When the shootout came Bradley Collins saved Casemiro’s opener before Coventry took a 2-1 lead through Wright and Victor Torp, Diogo Dalot scoring United’s. Then came sheer heartache for the Sky Blues as they failed to register again.

• FA Cup semi-final updates, 3.30pm BST kick-off at Wembley
• Coventry street-smarts key to Huckerby stunner against United
• Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And send Tim a mail

An email! “A minor point, I know,” says Jason Jawando, “but Coventry beat United in the fourth round of the FA Cup in 1987. Alex Fergusson only lost once in the third round, against Leeds in 2010. Ah thanks, you’re quite right – in the third round, United had beaten Manchester City, as they surely won’t if they win today. I’ll make a correction.

Meanwhile, in the relegation six-pointer at Goodison … Everton have got a second against Forest, which should make them safe-ish. It’s good news for Burnley, who, as things stand, are breathing down Forest’s necks, only three points adrift. Daniel Harris is on the case here.

• Manager talks injuries before FA Cup semi-final with Coventry
• ‘I can’t put any energy into whether I am judged fairly or not’

Erik ten Hag does not care how his Manchester United tenure is viewed by the outside world, the manager blaming the constant flow of injuries at the club for only playing a full-strength team once in 106 matches.

Ten Hag is set for a second successive FA Cup semi-final on Sunday when United face the Championship side Coventry at Wembley. United sit seventh in the league with the FA Cup their last chance of securing silverware this season and easing the pressure on him. The Dutchman led United to the final last season but they lost to Manchester City and he is aiming to go one better 12 months later.

Highfield Road 1997 and a late Sky Blues goal stuns Manchester United – a victory that will inspire Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final underdogs

Football’s “dark arts” can be deliciously contentious. When does game management become flagrant cheating? Is tactical fouling ever fair? And if a ballboy delays the resumption of play when his side are leading 2-1 in stoppage time, is it justifiable for the opponent’s manager to sprint down the touchline and celebrate a stunning two-goal turnaround in the poor lad’s face?

While some cunning ploys ultimately breach the laws or spirit of the game, others nestle sweetly within their boundaries. The former Coventry striker Noel Whelan says his old side should employ the latter to defeat Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.

Coventry fans will travel in numbers for their FA Cup semi-final on Sunday – a reflection of their long-serving manager’s impact

When Jürgen Klopp announced in January he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season, it was not just the news itself that seemed strange. The shock, the communal widening of the eyes, was in part because, with the shelf life of managers shorter than ever, rarely does anyone go on their own terms.

Since Klopp informed the Liverpool hierarchy last November of his intention to step down, 27 managers in the top four divisions – almost one third of those employed – have been dismissed. At eight and a half years Klopp has worked unbroken in the Premier League or EFL for longer than any other current manager and the heir to that throne, Pep Guardiola, reached a similar untouchable point some time ago.