Fulham beat Man United on penalties
Manchester United 1 - 1 Fulham (Fulham won 4-3 penalties)
Bernd Leno was the penalty shootout hero as Fulham knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup, with the German keeper making two vital saves to send the Cottagers into the quarter-finals.
After both sides converted their first three spot-kicks, Leno denied Victor Lindelöf before Fulham captain Antonee Robinson kept his side’s perfect record intact. That set the stage for Leno to produce another big moment, stopping Joshua Zirkzee’s effort and sparking wild celebrations from the travelling fans.
Marco Silva’s men had taken the lead just before half-time when Calvin Bassey was left unmarked at the far post to nod home from close range after Rodrigo Muniz flicked on a corner.
United responded through the Portuguese playmaker. He levelled the scores in style, rifling a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after being picked out by Diogo Dalot.
Both sides had chances to win it before penalties. Emile Smith Rowe was denied twice by André Onana, while 17-year-old United substitute Chido Obi forced a stunning reaction save from Leno in extra time. Alejandro Garnacho also saw an effort kept out as Fulham’s No.1 put in a man-of-the-match display.
But the best was yet to come. Leno’s heroics in the shootout ensured Fulham’s FA Cup dream stayed alive as they continue their bid to match their only final appearance back in 1975.
Best reactiom
Liam C is starting to have doubts over the manager. He told us: "Whilst the current problems are clearly not all down to the manager, I believe he needs to demonstrate something quickly otherwise pressure will begin to mount. He has to find a way to produce results quickly. I actually admire that he is sticking by his principles and system but the squad isn't responding to it."
This was a view supported Gareth, who added: "That wasn't the worst performance but the manager needs to change his tactics quickly. I don't think it can work in English football. The sooner he realises this the better."
The mood was obviously positive among the Fulham fans that we spoke to. Jonathan told us: "Winning against Manchester United at their home ground was revenge for that quarter-final match from 2023. We were just 20 minutes away from reaching the Wembley semi-final when three chaotic minutes turned everything around."
