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Antony has defended taunting Coventry City players after Manchester United beat the EFL Championship 4-2 on penalties in the FA Cup semifinal on Sunday (April 21).
Fans and pundits have slammed Antony for goading Coventry players after Rasmus Hojlund tucked home the winning penalty. The 24-year-old cupped his hands to his ears directly at the Sky Blues.
Erik ten Hag defended his winger by claiming that Harry Maguire had been initially provoked (via The United Stand):
"Did you see the reaction of Harry Maguire? He was provoked, that's why this was a reaction of that, you haven't seen the provocation, only the reaction. But he should not do it."
Antony responded to his manager's comments by explaining why he reacted. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Coventry proved why they reached the semi-final. We seeked this spot in the final for our fans and we achieved. The way our fans were treated by their player was not nice and I, in the heat of the moment, i've reacted to the provocations in a natural defense of my club!"
Manchester United were 3-0 up against Coventry thanks to goals from Scott McTominay (23'), Harry Maguire (45+1') and Bruno Fernandes (58'). But, Mark Robins' side shocked the Red Devils with goals from Ellis Simms (71'), Callum O'Hare (79'), and Haji Wright (90+5') to level matters.
Ten Hag's men got the job done on penalties to book their place in the final against Manchester City. Their win was marred by outrage over Antony's celebrations of which United icon Rio Ferdinand was 'embarrassed'.
Neal Maupay mocks Manchester United's Antony after his post-match antics
Antony is known as a fiery character during his time at Manchester United. The Brazil international has lost his head on several occasions and has a pitbull-like personality on the pitch.
Neal Maupay has a similar style of play that has gone down controversially with Premier League fans for several years. He has rattled several players this season including Manchester City's Kyle Walker.
However, Maupay was adamant that he wouldn't have replicated Antony's post-match festivities. The Frenchman said in a now-deleted post on X:
“Just for the record, not even I would do this (crying emoji).”
Antony arrived at Manchester United from Ajax in August 2022 for £85 million, making him the club's second-most expensive signing in history. He's failed to reach expectations with just two goals and as many assists in 34 games across competitions this season.
