"He is a strong opponent" - Kaoru Mitoma accepts 'complete defeat' after facing Manchester United star during FA Cup clash
Kaoru Mitoma lavished praise on Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka after Brighton & Hove Albion's FA Cup semifinal defeat on Sunday (April 23).
The two teams played out a goalless draw for 120 minutes before the Red Devils prevailed 7-6 on penalties. Mitoma, whose dribbling skills and pace off the blocks have troubled full-backs throughout the season, was ineffective.
The Japan international was closed down by Wan-Bissaka on a number of occasions down Brighton's left flank. The English right-back put in an imperious performance, winning all six of his ground duels and making seven recoveries in the 101 minutes he was on the pitch.
After the game, Mitoma admitted that his encounter against the former Crystal Palace right-back was a 'complete defeat' for him. He said, via Metro:
"I hadn’t played against them [Manchester United] before but all of their players are of high quality individually, so we had to be careful on the counter-attacks...
The 25-year-old added:
"...I also need to improve. He [Wan-Bissaka] is a strong opponent, that’s what I thought while I was playing. There were a lot of occasions where his legs stretched at the end, or he got the ball down at the back. I think it was a complete defeat."
Mitoma's only clear chance to make a tangible impact on the game came after Wan-Bissaka was taken off. A one-two with Alexis Mac Allister created a golden opportunity for him inside the box in the 113th minute but an uncharacteristically poor first touch let him down.
Ten Hag says Manchester United will do 'everything' to prevent Man City treble
Manchester City are on course to become just the second English side in history to win the treble, with Manchester United winning it in the 1998-99 season.
The Cityzens are in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, where they face Real Madrid next month, and are in the race for the Premier League title. They have 70 points from 30 games - just five less than leaders Arsenal, who have played two more games.
Manchester City's treble hopes will end if they lose the FA Cup final against the Red Devils on June 3. Erik ten Hag has assured fans that his team will do everything in their power to do just that.
Ten Hag said, via the Guardian:
"We will give everything and when I say everything, that is everything, more than 100% you can’t do, the fans can rely on that. We want to give that against City, we want to give the fans that."
Manchester United last won the FA Cup in May 2016 when they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 A.E.T.