Schmeichel: 'De Gea should have saved the goal'

Former players such as Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane both complained about goalkeeper David de Gea as Man Utd lost to Man City in the FA Cup final.

According to these experts, who are former Man Utd players, De Gea made a mistake in the 51st minute, because he did not have time to react to block Ilkay Gundogan's volley from outside the penalty area. This was the situation that raised the score to 2-1 for Man Utd. Former goalkeeper Schmeichel said he did not expect Man Utd to concede a goal from such a move.

"De Gea should have saved that goal," the legendary Danish goalkeeper told BBC . "I was surprised to see the ball roll into the net. It seemed like De Gea was not focused on the game."

Ilkay Gundogan's shot sealed a 2-1 win for Man City, as De Gea appeared to be out of sight during the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London, England on June 3, 2023. Photo: AP

Gundogan's goal came from a volley with his weaker left foot, which bounced off the ground twice before going into the net. The ball did not fly too hard, but De Gea seemed to dive a beat too late to save it. After the ball went into the net, the Spanish goalkeeper raised his arms as if to signal the defenders not to close in or block his vision. However, the 33-year-old goalkeeper was still criticized. "I'm tired of saying this so many times, Man Utd need a top-class goalkeeper and striker," commented former midfielder Roy Keane.

Gundogan scored twice in this match, both with one-touch shots from outside the box. The combined goal probability of these two chances was just 8%. That shows the German midfielder's dangerous shot, but De Gea can do better.

Man City won 2-1 and won the FA Cup, aiming for a historic treble. As Pep Guardiola's team prepared to lift the cup, Schmeichel even spoke privately with De Gea.

The Manchester Evening News also blamed De Gea for the second goal. "The ball rolled through a forest of players' legs and bounced twice before hitting the net," wrote reporter Samuel Luckhurst. "De Gea caught it very badly."

De Gea has just won the Golden Glove award in the 2022-2023 Premier League, with 17 clean sheets. However, Man Utd are still looking for a new goalkeeper to replace him, including Diogo Costa from Porto. De Gea is likely to stay at Man Utd, but must accept a pay cut and may lose his official position.

Hoang An

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