Manchester United’s troubled season hit a new low as the FA Cup holders were knocked out in a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out loss to Fulham in the fifth round on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim’s side trailed after Calvin Bassey’s first-half goal at Old Trafford, but Bruno Fernandes equalized in the second half to force a 1-1 draw and take the game into extra time.
Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno was the hero in the shoot-out, saving penalties from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee, while the visitors converted all four of their kicks to seal victory.
Booed off at halftime, United endured yet another dismal result in a season that has seen them languish in 14th place in the Premier League. The 13-time FA Cup winners had reached the final in each of the last two seasons, lifting the trophy last year after beating Manchester City, but now face the prospect of no Wembley trip this time.
With only the Europa League left as a potential silverware route, United’s frustrations continue to mount. The club recently announced 200 job cuts, and Amorim’s side struggled to secure a draw against Everton and barely managed to beat lowly Ipswich.
Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, admitted that life is “hard” for United at the moment, and this latest defeat adds more pressure to the under-fire Portuguese coach. United now turn their attention to Thursday’s Europa League clash with Real Sociedad, before hosting Arsenal in the Premier League.
It didn’t take long for Amorim to realize United were in for another frustrating afternoon. Rasmus Højlund fired over from a tight angle, continuing his 18-game goalless run, while Christian Eriksen’s curling effort was fisted away by Leno. The frustration among fans was evident, with chants aimed at the Glazer family and Jim Ratcliffe, as well as banners protesting ticket price increases.
Fulham had their first real threat when Sasa Lukic headed over from Alex Iwobi’s cross, but the visitors struck just before halftime. United’s ongoing struggles with set-pieces were exposed as Andreas Pereira’s corner found Rodrigo Muniz, whose flick-on was met by Bassey’s quick reaction to head past goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Amorim made the controversial decision to leave Alejandro Garnacho on the bench for the first 53 minutes, following the winger’s petulant response to being substituted against Ipswich. Garnacho’s introduction sparked the crowd but failed to inspire any significant improvement on the pitch.
United’s defensive frailties continued as Onana had to make a crucial save to deny Emile Smith Rowe from doubling Fulham’s lead.
Despite the setbacks, United captain Bruno Fernandes came to the rescue once again. His superb low finish from Diogo Dalot’s cross leveled the score at 1-1 in the 71st minute.
However, United’s problems persisted. After a scrappy extra time with few chances, the match headed into a nerve-wracking shoot-out. Leno’s heroics ultimately sealed United’s fate, leaving the club’s FA Cup hopes in tatters.
