In a season of unprecedented turmoil on and off the pitch, all Manchester United now have left to play for is the Europa League.
A as soon as nice membership, crippled by monetary issues and grubbing round within the backside half of the Premier League, now have one shot at salvaging a season of chaos and distress. Ruben Amorim should by some means raise his gamers for Thursday's Europa League final 16 first leg away at Actual Sociedad, after the door slammed shut on one other trophy and a route again into Europe.
After six expertly-dispatched penalties, United defender Victor Lindelof was the primary to overlook, his unconvincing spot-kick saved by Bernd Leno. And when Fulham skipper Antonee Robinson scored, Joshua Zirkzee needed to convert to maintain alive United's hopes, however Leno saved his effort, sending Marco Silva's facet via and the holders out.
Amorim has now misplaced 10 of his 25 video games in cost, a dismal return for a person who arrived as one of many brightest younger managers in Europe, however who has seen that standing wrecked by the reputation-wrecker that’s the modern-day United.
Whether or not Amorim can flip United round in the summertime, when he can begin his overhaul of the squad, is open to query. For now, his rapid activity is to attempt to navigate a approach via the Europa League, though on present type, United will likely be fortunate to make it via the subsequent spherical.
For Fulham, this was a deserved win. They had been the higher facet general, denied by some superb saves from United goalkeeper Andre Onana, and displayed cooler heads when the tie went to a shoot-out, their prize a house quarter-final tie in opposition to Crystal Palace.
Roy Keane might not fee Bruno Fernandes as a pacesetter, however the United skipper hauled his facet again into the sport with an imposing strike, cancelling out Calvin Bassey's first-half header. Fernandes scored the opening penalty of the shoot-out, however his heroics had been finally in useless as United got here up quick once more – a recurring theme this season.
The guests took the lead on the stroke of half-time, following a disputed nook which Fernandes rightly claimed ought to have been a goal-kick. Former United midfielder Andreas Pereira despatched the ball into the realm, the place it was flicked on by Rodrigo Muniz and headed over the road by the distinctive Bassey.
When referee Stuart Atwell blew for half-time, United's failure to attain from open play within the first-half had prolonged to 19 video games. If ever a statistic underlined how insipid Amorim's facet have been in assault, that was it.
However the equaliser, which appeared unlikely the extra United toiled, finally got here within the 71st minute, courtesy of a chic first-time strike from Fernandes, the low, medical end giving Leno no probability.
Onana produced a superb save at full stretch within the 94th minute to palm away a goal-bound effort from Fulham sub Emile Smith-Rowe, as extra-time loomed giant, with either side determined to keep away from an extra half-hour.
United might have received the sport within the a hundredth minute, when Alejandro Garnacho noticed a shot blocked by Leno, then when 17-year-old Chido Obi despatched the ball agonisingly vast with seconds left.
He went shut once more within the first-half of extra-time, forcing a significant save from Leno, as the sport lurched to a shoot-out. In a season the place just about all the pieces that may go mistaken has gone mistaken for United, they got here up quick, as soon as once more mired in self-recrimination and remorse.
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