Manchester United’s reign as FA Cup holders came to an end after Fulham secured a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout victory, following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Booed off at half-time, it was another wretched result for United in a season that sees them languishing in 14th place in the Premier League and exiting the FA Cup prematurely.
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 silverware chance.
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 that life is “hard” just now for United and this was the latest hammer blow to the under-fire Portuguese coach, who only arrived in November to replace the erstwhile Erik ten Hag.
Fulham took the lead before halftime, but Manchester United equalized through captain Bruno Fernandes. The match remained level until the end of regular time, prompting a penalty shootout to decide the winner.
In the shootout, Fulham’s players held their nerve, converting four of their penalties to Manchester United’s three.
The victory marked a significant upset, as Fulham advanced to the next round of the FA Cup at the expense of the reigning champions.
Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, will be disappointed with the outcome, but Fulham’s victory is a testament to their team’s resilience and determination.
The Cottagers will now look to build on this momentum as they progress in the competition.
