Manchester United have been knocked out of the FA Cup after a shock penalty shootout defeat to Fulham at Old Trafford.
The cup holders were dumped out of the competition on Sunday following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
The match was ultimately decided by penalties as Fulham held their nerve to progress to the quarter-finals.
Fulham took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Calvin Bassey headed home from Andreas Pereira’s corner after Rodrigo Muniz flicked it on.
Fulham beat United on penalties to go through to the next round
Reuters
Bruno Fernandes rescued United with a brilliant equaliser in the second half, converting Diogo Dalot’s cross with a first-time finish.
Despite chances for both sides, the match remained level after extra time before Fulham triumphed in the penalty shootout.
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney highlighted Rasmus Hojlund’s isolation during the match.
“He’s tried, he’s making runs in behind, but I don’t think Manchester United are getting players close enough to help him,” Rooney stated on BBC.
Rooney also criticised Joshua Zirkzee, adding: “Zirkzee has given the ball away many times and there’s not enough creativity.”
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards criticised United’s defensive errors for Fulham’s goal.
“When you’re marking zonal, you still have to open up your body. Everyone is looking at the ball,” Richards explained on BBC.
He specifically called out Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui: “Look at young Yoro – I know he’s only young but you’ve got to get on the half turn.
“He (Bassey) gets in behind him and then Mazraoui is too late to react.”
United’s vulnerability from corners was again exposed, with Alan Shearer highlighting their defensive frailties.
Joshua Zirkzee missed his penalty effort that saw United crash out
Reuters
“That sums up,” Shearer said during the BBC’s coverage. “They lose two headers with what I would say was a pretty simple ball to deal with.”
Manchester United have now conceded 13 goals from corners across all competitions this season – more than any other team.
Teenager Chido Obi-Martin made an immediate impact after replacing the ineffective Hojlund with 30 minutes remaining.
The 17-year-old forward outmuscled Bassey and fired a dangerous shot across goal in one of his first involvements.
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Rasmus Hojlund struggled again for United
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“Obi has been a real handful. He’s certainly offered more than when Hojlund was on the pitch. He’s been a nuisance,” noted Alan Shearer on commentary.
United fans voiced their discontent before and during the match over ticket price increases.
Supporters displayed banners referencing the £66 ticket prices with messages including “Your debt not ours” and “stop exploiting loyalty”.
The protests came after United announced a further 200 redundancies this week, following 250 job cuts last year.
Fans directed chants against both the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe during the match.