Manchester United crash out of FA Cup as Fulham win penalty shoot-out | Football News
Manchester United players react after losing a penalty shootout against Fulham. (AP Photo) Manchester United’s FA Cup title defense ended in disappointment with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out loss to Fulham in the fifth round on Sunday. The match at Old Trafford saw Calvin Bassey score first for Fulham in the first half, followed by Bruno Fernandes equalising to force a 1-1 draw after extra time.Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made crucial saves during the penalty shoot-out, stopping attempts from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee, while Fulham successfully converted all four of their penalties.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!United’s performance drew boos from fans at halftime, adding to their struggles this season as they currently sit in 14th place in the Premier League.The club had previously reached the FA Cup final for two consecutive seasons and won the trophy last year against Manchester City. United’s only remaining chance for silverware this season is now the Europa League.”It’s hard. We had the best chances in the game but in the end the penalties can go both ways and today it was not our day,” Amorim said. “I know that we are losing games and losing trophies during this season but the goal is to win the Premier League. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. But if you think like that, we can suffer a little bit in these defeats.”The defeat comes during a challenging period for the club, which recently announced 200 job cuts and struggled in matches against Everton and Ipswich.Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November, acknowledged the current difficulties at United. The team faces upcoming matches against Real Sociedad in the Europa League and Arsenal in the Premier League.Early in the match, Rasmus Hojlund missed a chance from Christian Eriksen’s cross, extending his goalless streak to 18 games. Eriksen had an attempt saved by Leno, while fans expressed their frustration through chants against the Glazer family ownership and Jim Ratcliffe.Fulham’s first threatening moment came when Sasa Lukic headed over from Alex Iwobi’s cross. The visitors scored just before halftime when Andreas Pereira’s corner was flicked on by Rodrigo Muniz, allowing Bassey to head in from close range.Alejandro Garnacho entered the match after 53 minutes, following a recent incident where he showed displeasure at being substituted against Ipswich. Fernandes leveled the score in the 71st minute with a precise finish from Diogo Dalot’s cross.Andre Onana made important saves against Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon in the latter stages of the match. Chido Obi nearly scored late in extra time, but Leno maintained his position well.The match ultimately concluded with Fulham’s victory in the penalty shoot-out, ending United’s FA Cup campaign.
