Manchester United fans believe David de Gea is the reason their side went into half-time in the Manchester derby with a chance of reaching the Carabao Cup final.
United went in a goal in front at the interval of their semi-final second leg against Manchester City thanks to Nemanja Matic's powerful effort — but it wasn't enough as they went out following a 3-2 aggregate defeat.
But they were fortunate to ahead at the break, after De Gea had denied City on multiple occasions in the opening half hour.
Matic's thunderbolt clinched a 1-0 lead for United on the night — making it 3-2 to City on aggregate, after Pep Guardiola's side won the first leg 3-1 — to fuel hopes of a comeback win for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.
Until that moment City had enjoyed nine shots on the United goal, with the visitors indebted to some superb De Gea save to keep it goalless.
United's forward line were poor and City enjoyed the bulk of possession, with fans noticing that it was De Gea who kept City at bay. United were unable to build on the 1-0 lead, however, and City booked their spot at Wembley.
Here's what they said on social media:
Before the game, United midfielder Fred had told his teammates to believe they can turn the tie around, despite the first leg result.
“We have to believe. If we don't believe in ourselves, who else will?” he told United's official website.
“We'll do everything possible to reverse City’s lead and do our best to get the win and make the final.
“As I said, winning a trophy is really important for us. We have to do our best as it will help us this season, it will help us with all the challenges we face.
“Winning something would represent a big improvement.”
