Man Utd player ratings from the FA Cup penalty shootout defeat to Fulham.
Matthijs de Ligt and Bruno Fernandes stood out as Manchester United lost to Fulham in the penalty shootout during the quarter-finals of the FA Cup fifth round. Ruben Amorim made two changes to his lineup, bringing in Christian Eriksen and Noussair Mazraoui to replace Alejandro Garnacho and Patrick Dorgu.
United dominated the match from the beginning and came close to scoring when Rasmus Hojlund sent a shot wide of the goal. Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes both tested Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno in what turned out to be a lackluster first half, while Sasa Lukic missed the target with a poor header from inside the box.
It seemed they would enter halftime on equal terms, but United consistently managed to surrender a goal as Calvin Bassey scored with a header from a corner, putting Fulham ahead just before the whistle blew. Amorim chose not to utilize his substitutes at halftime but decided to introduce Victor Lindelof and Alejandro Garnacho shortly after the break, much to the delight of the home fans.
Fernandes had been pivotal in United’s previous two comeback victories, and he once again stepped up as he equalized with a superb shot from the edge of the area following a smart pass from Diogo Dalot. In a hectic conclusion to normal time, Alejandro Garnacho attempted a close-range shot straight at Leno, while Chido Obi narrowly missed the target with what could have been the final kick of the match.
United excelled in extra time as well and nearly gained the advantage when Obi’s shot was stopped by Leno, but neither team could find the net before a penalty shootout in which Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee were both thwarted. Below is our assessment of the performance of United players in the defeat.
Manchester United player ratings vs Fulham
Andre Onana – 6
There were some nervous instances while gathering the ball, but it was an upgrade compared to his performance earlier in the week. He was responsible for some inaccurate passes but made several crucial saves to atone for his mistakes.
Matthijs de Ligt – 8
A superb display. He had a great understanding of the game and delivered some excellent long passes from the defense to initiate offensive plays. A decisive challenge on Andreas Pereira within the penalty area turned out to be a critical moment in the match. He battled valiantly even when he was exhausted.
Harry Maguire – 6
He performed adequately in defense against Rodrigo Muniz. His form has improved significantly since the transition to a back three, though he had to leave the match early.
Leny Yoro – 5
He made some commendable recovery efforts against Adama Traore and Andreas Pereira. Substituting him so soon into the second half seemed excessive.
Noussair Mazraoui – 5
He handled himself reasonably well until Calvin Bassey overpowered him leading to the Fulham goal. It’s evident that he struggles more as a wing-back compared to his role as a centre-back.
Manuel Ugarte – 4