In a dramatic turn of events, Fulham suffered a crushing defeat against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday. The Cottagers had taken the lead with a goal from Aleksandar Mitrovic early in the second half, but their hopes were dashed in a matter of minutes.
The chaos began when Willian was penalized for handball on the line, which led to a VAR review and a penalty for United. Fulham manager Marco Silva was sent off for saying something untoward while the official checked the monitor. Willian was shown a red card, and Mitrovic was also dismissed for his dissent towards the referee.
The Serbian striker was furious and put his hands on the referee before squaring up to him, which resulted in his red card too. It then went from bad to worse for Fulham as United scored twice in the next two minutes. Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot, and Marcel Sabitzer flicked home Luke Shaw’s low cross for his first United goal. Fernandes then lashed in United’s third in stoppage time as nine-man Fulham were overrun.
The defeat was a huge blow to Fulham’s push for Europe via the Premier League, and they will now face suspensions following the red cards. Mitrovic faces an anxious wait to see what action will be taken against him for putting his hands on an official, but Fulham boss Silva does not expect a lengthy suspension.
“I don’t think so,” Silva said of a potential long ban. “I saw the image of course and I already spoke with Mitro. It is a moment for him to control the emotions. Of course he pushed the referee but I didn’t see that being so bad as you are saying, so I hope the people who are going to decide, decide with the fairness the moment deserves.”
The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Fulham, who had been in control of the game before the dramatic turn of events. Mitrovic’s goal had given them hope of causing an upset against United, but their hopes were extinguished in a matter of minutes.
The defeat will be a huge disappointment for Fulham, who have been playing well in recent weeks. They had won three of their last four games in the Premier League, including an impressive 1-0 win over Liverpool. However, their hopes of progressing in the FA Cup were dashed by United’s clinical display.
For United, it was a welcome win after a disappointing defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League last week. The victory sees them progress to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Brighton at Wembley.
Overall, it was a dramatic and eventful game that will be remembered for Fulham’s implosion in the space of a minute. While it was a bitter defeat for the Cottagers, they will need to regroup quickly and focus on their push for Europe via the Premier League. As for United, they will be hoping to build on this victory and continue their good form in both the FA Cup and Premier League.