Fulham dump United out of FA Cup in shootout win

Fulham won 3-4 on penalties

- RICHARD JOLLY

Victor Lindelof scored the winning penalty in the FA Cup semifinal two years ago. Joshua Zirkzee repeated the feat in the shootout against Arsenal two months ago. But when Bernd Leno twice guessed right, he left two of Manchester United’s previous stars of shootouts devastated and a failing club’s season teetering on the brink of calamity. Only the Europa League can save it, or them, now. Despite Bruno Fernandes’s latest attempt to rescue United, at times almost single-handedly, the holders were ejected from the FA Cup.

It took penalties, it required 120 minutes – or nearer 130 – but the supporters chorusing about going to Wembley were the Fulham faithful, able to dream of a second FA Cup final, half a century after their first. United are going to San Sebastian; if Real Sociedad can overcome them over two legs, this will be a catastrophe of a campaign, utterly irredeemable.

“The goal is to win the Premier League,” said Ruben Amorim. It is already mathematically impossible this season. Little wonder Wayne Rooney said it made the head coach sound naïve. “I am not naïve. That is why I am here at 40 years old, coaching Manchester United,” Amorim responded. It was, he said, easy to be a pundit. That may be true but he is making it look hard to be United manager. “Maybe it is not with me but our goal is to win the Premier League,” he added. There is a growing school of thought that it will not be with him.