LONDON: Watford produced one of the great FA Cup comebacks by coming from two goals down to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 after extra time of a memorable semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Two-goal substitute Gerard Deulofeu proved Watford’s hero as they reached the FA Cup final for the first time in 35 years in astonishing fashion.

The Spaniard scored a sensational individual goal to drag his side back into the match when they were 2-0 down with 11 minutes left and then slotted home the winner in the opening period of extra time.

Striker Troy Deeney also enhanced his folk hero status at Watford by nervelessly converting a penalty with the final kick of stoppage time in the 94th minute to enable the Hornets to take the game into extra time.

A first-half header from Matt Doherty and a dazzling piece of skill which saw Mexican Raul Jimenez chest down and volley home acrobatically just after the hour had looked set to be enough for Wolves to prevail in the all-Premier League clash.

Yet an equally virtuoso 79th-minute goal from Deulofeu — a magnificently executed curling chip — set up the amazing finale which saw Deeney blast home from the spot after being brought down by Leander Dendoncker.

Spanish international Deulofeu then delivered the killer blow a minute before the break of extra time, driving past Conor Coady on the right before slipping the ball across John Ruddy and into the net.

It earned Watford a date with overwhelming favourites Manchester City, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in Saturday’s other semi-final, in the final back at Wembley on May 18.

It also gave them the chance to play in only their second FA Cup final, after losing to Everton in 1984.

QUADRUPLE ‘ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE’

On Saturday, the “impossible” quadruple dream remained intact for City after an early headed goal from Gabriel Jesus sealed a scrappy win over Brighton.

Jesus launched himself into the air to meet Kevin De Bruyne’s cross in the third minute but City never hit top gear and they rather laboured to victory in an instantly forgettable match.

Nevertheless, after bagging the League Cup, being locked in a titanic battle with Liverpool for the Premier League title and in the Champions League quarter-finals, Pep Guardiola’s side remain on course for an unprecedented clean sweep.

It was a tired-looking display against Premier League relegation battlers Brighton, though, and City will need to rediscover their spark ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Champions League last-eight tie.

Guardiola was quick to play down the “Q” word.

“My opinion is that nobody has done it [won the quadruple] so why can we do it?,” Guardiola said.

“It is almost impossible to achieve everything, that is the truth. Our fans will come, more than today, for the final, we are losing players every game but still we will try to do it.

“I am happy to be in the final, we extend our season by one more week and we are happy for that.”

City’s quest for a first Champions League title resumes on Tuesday when Guardiola hopes striker Sergio Aguero will be fit to play at Tottenham Hotspur in an all-English quarter-final after missing the FA Cup semi-final.

By the time the five-time FA Cup winners contest the final, Guardiola will be hoping to have defended the Premier League title when the campaign ends the previous weekend.

Liverpool are back on top for now after beating Southampton on Friday night but City have a game in hand to wipe out that two-point lead.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2019