MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United’s dismal season hit a new low as the FA Cup holders crashed out after a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat against Fulham in the fifth round on March 2.
Ruben Amorim’s side trailed to Calvin Bassey’s first-half opener at Old Trafford before Bruno Fernandes equalized to force a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Fulham keeper Bernd Leno was the hero in the shoot-out as he saved from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee, with the visitors converting all four of their kicks.
Booed off at half-time, it was another wretched result for United in a season where they now languish in 14th place in the Premier League.
The 13-time FA Cup winners had reached the final for the last two seasons and beat Manchester City to lift the trophy last year. But there will be no trip to Wembley this season for United, who have only the Europa League left as a chance for silverware.
It has been another testing week at Old Trafford, with 200 job cuts announced and United struggling to draw with Everton and barely beat lowly Ipswich. Amorim admitted life is “hard” just now for United, and this latest defeat is another hammer blow to the under-fire Portuguese coach.
United are set to head to Real Sociedad for the Europa League last 16 first leg on March 6 before hosting Arsenal in the Premier League.
It didn’t take long for Amorim to realize United were in for another dispiriting afternoon. Rasmus Hojlund fired over from an acute angle after Christian Eriksen’s cross found the much-maligned United striker. Eriksen’s curler was fisted away by Leno, but it did little to satisfy fans frustrated by years of underachievement.
Supporters were vocal about their dissatisfaction during the match, with abusive chants directed at the club’s owners, the Glazer family, and Jim Ratcliffe. Banners criticizing ticket price increases were also visible.
Fulham threatened for the first time when Sasa Lukic headed over from Alex Iwobi’s cross. It was a warning United failed to heed as Fulham snatched the lead with their first shot on target just seconds before halftime.
United’s defensive frailty at set-pieces was once again laid bare as Andreas Pereira’s corner was flicked on by Rodrigo Muniz, and Calvin Bassey reacted quicker than Noussair Mazraoui to head home from six yards.
Ruben Amorim left Alejandro Garnacho on the bench for the first 53 minutes after the Argentine’s petulant response to being substituted against Ipswich. Amorim said the incident had been resolved after Garnacho agreed to buy dinner for his teammates. The young star’s introduction sparked a roar from the stands but little improvement from his team.
Fulham continued to apply pressure, with United keeper Andre Onana forced to plunge to his right to stop Emile Smith Rowe from increasing Fulham’s lead.
Yet, as is often the case for United this season, captain Bruno Fernandes stepped up to deliver when it mattered most. He leveled the match for United, meeting Diogo Dalot’s cross with a superb low finish from 12 yards out. This brought life back to the home team as they sought to avoid another embarrassing exit.
Despite having come from behind to beat Ipswich and draw with Everton recently, there would be no escape act this time. Onana denied Smith Rowe late on, setting up what would be a tense extra-time period.
Extra time came and went with few chances; the most notable was when Chido Obi nearly squeezed his shot past Leno. Ryan Sessegnon came close with a powerful effort, but Onana did well to push it away.
Finally, with penalties looming, the tension mounted. United prepared for the inevitable shoot-out as both teams had crossed the 120-minute mark.
When the shoot-out commenced, it was Bernd Leno’s impressive reflexes and focus under pressure which stole the spotlight. Leno saved two penalties, denying Lindelof and Zirkzee, securing Fulham’s historic victory. Fulham confidently converted all four of their spot-kicks.
The victory sent Fulham fans wild as they celebrated their team’s remarkable achievement at the historic Old Trafford stadium, eliminating the current holders of the prestigious FA Cup.
After this shocking defeat, discussions surrounding Manchester United's future and Amorim's management are sure to escalate, leaving fans and pundits to wonder just how much longer it will take for United to return to the top of English football.
Fulham’s encouraging performance has shown their potential to challenge higher up the league, and their supporters can look forward to seeing how far they can go in this year’s cup.