Key events
Full time: Man Utd 3-1 Fulham
That’s it. Man Utd will play Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final after a memorable win over Fulham.
GOAL! Man Utd 3-1 Fulham (Fernandes 90+6)
Fred runs at a backpedalling Fulham defence, with two players free to his right. He rolls the ball across to Fernandes, who walks into the area, steadies himself and scorches a drive past Leno.
90+4 min It’s an odd thing to say when the score is 2-1, but the match is petering out. Fulham’s nine men can’t get the ball, never mind keep it.
90+2 min Wan-Bissaka has a shot blocked. Fulham’s nine men just can’t get out.
90+1 min There’s a suggestion that Sancho’s shot, which Willian handled, was going off target anyway. Willian wasn’t to know that. A similiar thing happened to Abel Xavier in Portugal’s infamous Euro 2000 defeat to France: I’m pretty sure Sylvain Wiltord’s shot would have hit the outsied of the post and gone out of play.
90 min There will be seven minutes of added time because of all the chaos.
89 min: Quadruple substitution for Fulham Tom Cairney, Dan James, Manor Solomon and Cedric replace Reed, Tete De Cordova-Reid and Pereira.
88 min Antony plays a one-two with Weghorst and stumbles into the area. He drags the ball beautifully round Leno, but Diop gets back to poke the ball away. Moments later Antony plays a one-two with Sancho and hits a rasper from the edge of the area that is well saved by Leno.
I really like Antony as a substitute, and his introduction today changed the game.
87 min If the ball ever goes out of play, Fulham will make a quadruple substitution.
86 min“A ‘brilliant performance’ from Fulham,” says Stephen Winstanley. “Take your anti-United goggles off for once.”
The world-wide-web: bringing humanity together since 1991.
85 min Sabitzer’s low drive is straight at Leno. This game is over, you’d think.
84 min “Hi Rob,” says Richard Hirst. “What did I say about honourable defeat?”
I think the word ‘honourable’ has just disowned you.
82 min: Man Utd substitution Fred replaces Marcus Rashford, who had a pretty quiet game.
81 min “Shane O’Leary thinks Bat For Lashes was ‘earnestly awful?’” sniffs Matt Dony. “Lucky for him, he’s never heard me with an acoustic guitar falsettoing my way through her song Laura. A level of overwrought earnestness that would make Counting Crows blush. Currently on my second spin on the covid-coaster, so I’m not feeling brilliant. But Fulham are helping, or at least they were. Actually, they are still helping, but in a very different way. Top entertainment!”
Nobody likes to see it.
80 min Weghorst’s rising shot from a very tight angle is held by Leno.
79 min “That’s the clearest handball, red card and penalty you will ever see,” says Samuel Campbell. “No idea why Fulham are so incensed. Biggest issue is why did the ref have to watch so many replays.”
If he knew how much Fulham were going to kick off, he’d probably still be checking it now.
GOAL GIVEN! Sabitzer was beyond the defence but behind the ball, so the goal stands. In the space of eight minutes, Fulham – who had been by far the better team – have lost two goals, two players and their manager.
This is bonkers. Sancho played a lovely ball inside Tete for Shaw, whose low cross was ingeniously backflicked over Leno by Sabitzer. But there’s a VAR check for offside.
GOAL! Man Utd 2-1 Fulham (Sabitzer 77)
Marcel Sabitzer scores his first goal for Manchester United!
77 min The Fulham players are still moaning at the referee. I can understand their frustration, after such a brilliant performance, but they don’t have a case here. The penalty, and the red cards for Willian and Mitrovic, were clear cut.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 Fulham (Fernandes 76 pen)
Fernandes calmly sends Leno the wrong way.
75 min Still no penalty. To recap, Willian, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Marco Silva were all sent off in the space of about a minute.
74 min Mitrovic wagged his finger in the referee’s face, then sort of shoved his arm. Marco Silva has been sent off as well, and the penalty still hasn’t been taken!
Mitrovic has been sent off as well!
He went ballistic at the referee – he’s still going ballistic in fact – and Fulham are down to nine men. I think he pushed Chris Kavanagh. What an absurd few minutes.
Penalty to United and a red card for Willian!
Oh my word, Mitrovic has lost it!
VAR check Antony – who has energised United – broke thrillingly and played in Sancho. He danced round the keeper, sent Reed to the wrong fire and finally lifted a shot that was blocked on the line by Willian. It hit his arm, so I suspect this will be a penalty and a red card.
70 min: Off the line by Willian, but was it handball?
68 min Fernandes rolls the free-kick towards the unmarked Sancho on the edge of the D. His shot, which was probably going wide, hits Robinson and goes behind for a … goalkick.
67 min Robinson is booked for fouling Antony, who had slipped him cleverly on the right.
66 min: Outstanding save by de Gea! A dunderheaded foul from Maguire gives Fulham a free-kick on the right wing. Pereira puts it on the head of Mitrovic, 12 yards out, and he powers a header towards the far top corner. De Gea springs dramatically to his right to claw it away.
65 min “Remember Keegan’s Fulham came to Old Trafford in the cup?” says Niall Mullen. “They were really good (think they lost 1-0 maybe?). It’s nice to remember, because I think we forget, that Keegan was a good coach.”
Coach or man-manager? I agree with you though – the emotional failures have partially obscured the spectacular job he did for most of his time at Newcastle, Fulham and Man City.
64 min Mitrovic heads Tete’s cross straight at de Gea. He was a fair way out so it wasn’t much of a chance.
62 min Fernandes’s corner is headed behind for another, which he swings straight into the arms of Leno. The expected storm hasn’t materialised yet, and Fulham are pretty comfortable.
61 min “Ah, Ralphie,” says Simon McMahon. “Manchester United’s worst ever signing, right? But Fergie knew a player when he saw one. Dundee United hall of famer. Won the league for Jim McLean’s team at Dens the day after his 22nd birthday with one of the best goals you’ll ever see. Remains our top scorer in Europe, when United were mixing it with the best. The Scottish Garrincha. Without the World Cup winners medals of course.”
Or the international caps.
59 min Antony’s first involvement is to kick Robinson off the ball. He might have been booked for that, although it wasn’t the most vicious kick in the world.
58 min: Man Utd substitution Antony replaces Scott McTominay, which means Bruno Fernandes will drop deeper. Sancho has moved to the left with Rashford up front and Weghorst as the No10.
58 min The impressive Palhinha is fouled 30 yards from goal by Fernandes. It’s too wide for a shot, and Pereira’s overhit cross goes behind for a goalkick.
57 min Erik ten Hag is giving advice to Antony, who is about to come on as substitute.
56 min “United’s lineup options today are as thin as gruel,” says Ben Barclay, “but with Erik Ten Hag doling it out, I’m happy to say: ‘Please sir, can I have some more.’ (More Pellistri and Antony, less Weghorst and Sancho…)”
54 min Fernandes sidefoots wide from the edge of the area after a good cutback by Rashford. That was half a chance, and the goal appears to have woken United up.
There was a VAR check for a foul on Rashford, who was sandwiched between two Fulham defenders and stayed down after the goal. But it was just a natural collision, not a foul, and the goal stands!
Pereira’s flat, outswinging corner from the right was flicked dangerously across goal by Diop, and Mitrovic cushioned a left-foot volley into the net from six yards. Fulham deserve that.
GOAL! Man Utd 0-1 Fulham (Mitrovic 50)
Aleksandar Mitrovic scores his first FA Cup goal!
49 min: Excellent save by de Gea! The corner is only half cleared to Willian, who cuts inside Rashford and fizzes a curler towards the bottom corner. De Gea, who must have seen it late, dives full length to his left and fingertips it round the post. That’s a lovely save, slightly reminiscent of Gary Walsh’s stop from Dwight Yorke at Villa Park in 1994 (though not quite as good).