MANCHESTER UNITED Man Utd player’s struggles persist in FA Cup fifth round elimination against Fulham by Sri Aswin 3 March 2025
Manchester United exited the FA Cup after a disappointing defeat on penalties to Fulham at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils generated numerous goal-scoring opportunities in the fifth-round match but lacked the precision in the final third.
Rasmus Hojlund was chosen to spearhead the attack once more, but the young striker did not make an impact. He was taken off in the 68th minute.
The 22-year-old managed only nine touches and made two passes. He won one out of five duels and failed to successfully complete a dribble (0/2)
It was expected that he would be substituted early on. The 17-year-old Chido Obi entered the game as a substitute and performed significantly better than him.
Although the young player missed three significant scoring opportunities, he was much more impactful in attack, winning four duels, both on the ground and in the air.
Obi had 18 touches, successfully completing 100 percent of his dribbles (2/2). He nearly scored the decisive goal during extra time if not for Bernd Leno’s exceptional reflexes.
In the 52 minutes he played, the teenager outperformed Hojlund. In our opinion, Amorim should think about dropping Hojlund from the starting eleven. Obi deserves to make his full debut.
Hojlund has failed to find the net in his last 17 matches for United. His confidence has dipped significantly, and Amorim may need to alter the attacking strategy against Real Sociedad.
The Red Devils are set to visit the Basque side for the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 matchup.
United has faced difficulties against Spanish teams in European competitions. They need to put forth a stronger performance to gain an advantage for the second leg back home.
The team might also be missing another crucial player for the midweek match. Harry Maguire picked up an injury, which played a role in his late substitution.
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