Wout Weghorst denied first five penalty spot in shootout against Brighton

Erik ten Hag prevented Wout Weghorst from being one of the first five players to take penalties during their shootout triumph over Brighton in the FA Cup.

Manchester United advanced to the FA Cup final in a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Brighton.

Despite a goalless 120 minutes of play, the Red Devils emerged victorious, triumphing 7-6 in the penalty shootout. They will now face Manchester City in a highly anticipated final on June 3.

The first five players to take penalties, namely Casemiro, Diogo Dalot, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Marcel Sabitzer, all scored their respective shots. Wout Weghorst then successfully converted his team's sixth penalty, but the win was sealed by Victor Lindelof after Solly March failed to convert his spot-kick.

Wout Weghorst expressed his desire to take one of the first five penalties and revealed that the coaching staff of Manchester United prevented him from doing so. He was eventually able to take the sixth penalty, which he converted successfully.

"I wanted to take one, I wanted to take one of the first five," he told reporters after the win at Wembley Stadium. "But the trainer decided this.

"But, yeah, I’m glad I could contribute to today so personally that’s a good feeling."

Asked about the result and his mood, the 30-year-old replied: "It’s great, that was our goal and our goal for today in general.

"It’s really good to be in the final.

"Of course it’s a different tournament, a different trophy [compared to the Europa League] and we’re disappointed from that. We said we wanted to win three trophies, so that was a really big disappointment."

Manchester United's qualification for the FA Cup final follows their recent elimination from the Europa League by Sevilla.

While reflecting on the defeat to the La Liga club, Wout Weghorst refrained from commenting and instead focused on the team's goal of winning another trophy this season.

"Today is not about the Europa League. It’s about the FA Cup, and for us to stay in this tournament and have the opportunity to get another trophy," he added. "That’s what we did."

Manchester United appears to be in a strong position to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League table this season, and they have the opportunity to add another trophy to their collection after winning the Carabao Cup earlier this year.

Will they complete a domestic cup double? Let us know what you think.