How Arsenal helped Coventry City to almost pull off ultimate FA Cup comeback vs Man United

Haji Wright's Arsenal education came in handy as he gave Manchester United a real fright in the FA Cup semi-final with the American international watching videos of Thierry Henry as he grew up.

Wright was the picture of composure as he took a late penalty at Wembley, sparking an incredible comeback against United and forcing the FA Cup semi-final into extra time as the Sky Blues came back from 3-0 down. His influence on the match grew in the closing stages as Coventry started to eat into United's lead, initially built by goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes.

The fightback began with just 19 minutes left on the clock when Ellis Simms scored off Fabio Tavares' low cross, shooting past Andre Onana at the near post. Callum O'Hare then took advantage of a lucky break eight minutes later, but Coventry didn't care as his 20-yard shot deflected off Aaron Wan-Bissaka and looped into the net with Onana rooted to the spot.

Wan-Bissaka was then penalised for handball in stoppage time by referee Rob Jones, giving Wright the chance to level the game from the penalty spot. The American had already played a significant role in Coventry's FA Cup campaign, having scored a 100th-minute winner against Wolves in the quarter-final last month. So it came as no surprise when the 26-year-old sent Onana the wrong way from 12 yards out, sending the 36,000 Coventry fans at Wembley into a frenzy and forcing the match into extra time

Wright made the switch to Coventry from Turkish outfit Antalyaspor last summer. This season he's scored 15 goals and provided six assists across 40 appearances in the Championship as Coventry aim to finish the season in the play-offs.

The US star was initially captivated by LA Galaxy legends David Beckham and Landon Donovan during his formative years, but he didn't stop there; he also spent countless hours poring over YouTube clips of Barcelona and Arsenal to pick up tips from the iconic Henry.

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"[Donovan's] impact, being the national team captain, was more influential for me as a player in the Galaxy academy at a young age. I grew up going to the StubHub Centre and watching their games," Wright shared with Sky Sports back in December.

"I met him then. He was a really nice guy, but kind of intense! You could tell he was goal-driven at that age, and still had a lot of fire in his belly. I also grew up idolizing Thierry Henry. I watched a lot of Arsenal and Premier League, then Barcelona games. When I was younger he would be the guy I'd search on YouTube and watch his highlights and stuff.

Despite the comeback, Wright and Coventry didn't end Manchester United's FA Cup hopes after United emerged victorious from the penalty shootout. But not before they survived a late scare with the Sky Blues seeing a late stoppage time goal rules out by VAR for offside.

United came out as 4-2 winners in the penalty shootout that followed. They will now face city rivals Manchester City in the final of the competition next month in what is a replay of last year's final.