United bow out of FA Cup after disappointing penalty shootout defeat to Fulham

Manchester United bowed out of the FA Cup fifth round versus Fulham on penalties after a hard-fought 120 minutes of action.

The Red Devils welcomed Fulham to Old Trafford looking to make the quarter finals for a third consecutive season.

United started quite well with some possession but not in any particularly dangerous areas.

In the opening ten minutes both sides had the ball in threatening positions out wide but neither side could take advantage in a very timid opening.

The first real chance arrived when Manuel Ugarte won the ball back well and squared it to Bruno Fernandes, who took a touch and fired right at Bernd Leno.

After 14 minutes, Christian Eriksen fired in an early ball across the box that Rasmus Hojlund got to first but his composure let him down as he fired high and wide of the Fulham goal.

The home side were playing quite well and a few moments later, Eriksen made some space for himself on the edge of the box and had a shot at goal that was parried away by Leno.

Fulham had their first real dangerous moment when Matthijs de Ligt gave the ball away and Ugarte brought down Andreas Pereira before he could get a shot off. The Uruguayan picked up the first yellow card of the match for the foul.

Fortunately, Sasa Lukic could only fire the resulting free-kick into the wall.

The next ten minutes or so passed with little action as both teams surprisingly struggled to keep hold of the ball for any length of time, being careless when in possession.

As the game went by, after 38 minutes, Alex Iwobi floated a ball into the United penalty area and Lukic drifted into the box unmarked but he could not direct his header on target. It was a major let off as the United defence failed to react.

United responded and Joshua Zirkzee had a well-improvised effort as he stuck a boot out at a Bruno Fernandes cross but it flew just wide of the post.

The Red Devils have shown a soft underbelly all season at set pieces and they once again returned to their old bad habits as they were sucker-punched by a late Fulham goal in added time of the first half.

Andreas Pereira’s out-swinging corner was flicked on by Rodrigo Muniz and Calvin Bassey headed home to give the Cottagers an invaluable lead at half-time.

As the half-time whistle blew, Ruben Amorim and his men trudged down the tunnel with a crucial message needed from the boss to spur a reaction out of the home side.

Alejandro Garnacho and Victor Lindelof came on early on in the second half but United failed to threaten. Erisken swung in a good free kick in the 54th minute but nobody reacted in red, and the ball flew out of play.

Noussair Mazraoui burst into the box after 57 minutes but his header was easily saved by the Fulham keeper.

As the hour mark passed, the Old Trafford crowd tried to rally their troops as United looked passive and bewildered in attack.

Captain Fernandes responded and took on a long range effort but it was straight down Leno’s throat, when he probably should have passed.

The Cottagers immediately responded and after good work, Emile Smith-Rowe fired an effort that Andre Onana got down well to keep out.

With little working, Amorim gambled and threw on Casemiro and Chido Obi to try and spark some life into a drab United display.

In almost an immediate reaction, United finally put together a bit of quality in the final third after good, patient play from Alejandro Garnacho resulted in him playing in Dalot, who found Fernandes with a ball across the area.

The Portuguese international did what he always does in the FA Cup and fired home a great finish into the bottom left hand corner, giving Leno no chance in the visitors’ goal.

In the 74th minute, Antonee Robinson responded with a right-footed shot from range that he could not keep down as both sides went in search of a winner.

United fans’ hearts were in their mouth as Muniz found himself between Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt but they just about managed to scramble the ball away for a corner.

On 79 minutes, Garnacho turned well and ran at the tiring Fulham defence but unfortunately, he could only fire tamely at the keeper.

In the 90th minute, Fernandes swung in a free-kick that was met by Harry Maguire but he could only get a glancing touch as the ball fell harmlessly into the visiting keeper’s hands.

Eight minutes were added on at the end as both sides pushed on believing they could find the all-important match winner.

In the fifth minute of added time, Smith-Rowe found himself in space and his effort from outside the box was well-saved by Onana in a crucial intervention.

In the 97th minute there was almost a moment of Old Trafford magic when 17 year old Obi beat Bassey to the ball and fired a shot at the Fulham goal, but it sadly drifted wide of the post, in what would have been a sensational moment.

In the tenth minute of added time, Zirkzee’s wonderful touch and pass played Garnacho in against the keeper but he could only direct a tame effort on goal, as he seemed to take on the shot unnecessarily early. The whistle blew on an exciting end to the match and the game went to extra time.

Ayden Heaven came on at the beginning of extra-time for his debut for the club after signing in January.

In the 93rd minute, Casemiro played a great ball forward and Garnacho ran onto it but could only fire his effort into the side netting.

In the 100th minute of action, great pressure from De Ligt won the ball back and Fernandes picked out Obi but he failed to control the ball when he probably should have done better.

In added time of the first half of extra time, Obi made his presence known once more and he ran onto a loose ball in the box and opened up his body and fired an effort at Fulham’s goal but sharp reactions from Leno denied him a magic moment.

A few moments later substitute Ryan Sessognan cut inside and drove a fierce effort at goal that was well stopped by Onana again.

In the 112th minute, great work from Mazraoui led to the ball being teed up for Casemiro who fired his curling effort wide of the post in front of the Stretford End.

In the 120th minute of play, Mazraoui brought down Raul Jiminez in a dangerous area but Willian fired the effort straight at a grateful Onana. There would be no winner in extra-time and the referee blew for penalties.

United started well scoring their first three, but Joshua Zirkzee and Victor Lindelof failed from the spot to see the holders bow out at the fifth round stage.

Starting XI: Onana, De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro, Mazraoui, Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Eriksen, Zirkzee, Hojlund
Subs: Garnacho, Lindelof, Casemiro, Obi, Heaven

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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