Arsenal steal FA Cup semi-final spot but this was a match Sheffield United didn't deserve to lose

True, substitute Dani Ceballos’ conversion was clinical, even though the person responsible for uttering those words might have been getting a little carried away. But the bigger issue, as Arsenal stumbled into the last four of the FA Cup, was that this wasn’t a game Sheffield United deserved to lose.

Moments earlier, when David McGoldrick’s second goal in the competition this season had cancelled-out the visitors’ controversial opener, it appeared as if Chris Wilder’s side, not the visitors from London, were destined for Wembley as they sensed a memorable and much needed victory.

But they were denied in the cruellest of fashion when Ceballos swept home through Dean Henderson’s legs after foraging for and then finding space inside the United area.

The result leaves Wilder’s men still without a win since English football returned to action following the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this month. But when United’s disappointment subsides - and their frustration at a series of woefully poor refereeing decisions dissipates - they can at least take encouragement from the fact the final outcome did not do justice to their contribution throughout this quarter-final tie.

Wilder, who had lamented his team’s performances en route to this fixture, will have been hearted to see them looking much more like their usual tenacious selves at the beginning of this contest. Indeed, with only eight minutes gone, United thought they had taken the lead when