Manchester United 3-1 Fulham: 5 Talking Points as Red Devils advance to semi-finals | FA Cup 2022-23

Manchester United overcame a difficult start as they beat nine-man Fulham 3-1 to progress to the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday, March 19.

Following their strong performance against Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, Manchester United came into the game on a high. They beat the Spanish side 5-1 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals of the European competition.

On Sunday, the Red Devils looked to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for a record 31st time. Manager Erik ten Hag made four changes to the side that beat Real Betis, with the most important one being Casemiro missing the first game of his four-game suspension. He was replaced by Scott McTominay. Along with him, Luke Shaw, Marcel Sabitzer, and Jadon Sancho all earned starts.

Fulham, on the other hand, have enjoyed a successful season in the Premier League but came into the game on the back of a 3-0 loss against Arsenal. They were boosted by the return of Joao Palhinha from suspension and also welcomed Willian back from injury.

The London side started the game well, creating a string of solid chances. Issa Diop's looping header forced David de Gea into an awkward save as Fulham looked for the opener.

At the other end, Manchester United got a good chance to take the lead on the counter. However, Wout Weghorst's shot from Marcus Rashford's pass did not trouble Bernd Leno at all.

The game was quite close, with both sides unable to create clear-cut chances.

Bruno Fernandes then set up Sabitzer for a long-range effort, which was well held by Leno.

A goalless first half saw Fulham having the upper hand but neither side really created great chances.

Fulham started the second half strongly, with Palhinha setting up Antonee Robinson for a shot that forced De Gea into a save.

The Spaniard was once again called into action after Willian's curling effort, after a corner, headed towards the far post.

The pressure finally resulted in the opener. Yet another Fulham corner saw Andreas Pereira cross into Diop, who set it back for Mitrovic. The Serbian made no mistake from close range, scoring his first FA Cup goal to give the Cottagers the lead.

The game then completely turned on its head in the next five minutes. Manchester United first received a penalty after Willian was deemed to have handled the ball on the line, preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The Brazilian also received a red card.

In a show of complete recklessness, Mitrovic then went up to the referee and pushed him. The Serbian was immediately shown a red card for his actions, reducing the Cottagers down to nine men.

Fulham manager Marco Silva also received a red card for dissent against the referee.

Fernandes, meanwhile, stepped up to take the penalty, coolly sending Leno the wrong way to level the scores.

Just two minutes after the equalizer, Manchester United took the lead after Sancho found Shaw's overlap. The full-back then set up Sabitzer, who scored his first goal for the club to give his side the lead.

Fernandes then got his second of the game late in stoppage time to drown any hopes of a Fulham comeback.

A manic period of five minutes eventually decided the outcome of this fixture as Manchester United won 3-1 to progress to the semi-finals. Here are five talking points from the game.

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#5. Aleksandar Mitrovic committed an unforgivable mistake

Mitrovic's actions on the field today were reprehensible. The Serbian had a great game up to that point, scoring the goal to give Fulham a much-deserved lead.

However, following Willian's red card, the Serbian completely lost his head, getting into an unnecessary argument with the official before shoving him. He received a straight red which ended up being a serious detriment to Fulham's hopes of qualifying.

#4. Manchester United cannot afford further slow starts

Manchester United have had a good run of positive results but have recently fallen into a bad habit. Erik ten Hag's side have started games very slowly in recent weeks.

This was evident against both Southampton and Real Betis and the trend continued today. Fulham were clearly the better side in the first half but could not generate quality chances.

#3. Marcel Sabitzer had his best game in a Manchester United shirt

Casemiro's four-game ban meant the onus fell on Marcel Sabitzer today to deliver a good performance. The German, on loan from Bayern Munich, had a classy outing to guide United to a win. He was a key defensive presence and also scored the goal that gave his side the lead.

Sabitzer has proved to be a smart piece of business in the winter transfer window and Manchester United could seriously consider making his move permanent. He finished the game with three shots on target and one key pass along with two interceptions and a blocked shot.

#2. Bruno Fernandes had a quality outing

Bruno Fernandes added two goals to his season tally with a great performance against the Cottagers. The Portuguese attacker was initially deployed as a 10 with Rashford and Sancho on the wings. However, with his team on the back foot, Ten Hag switched Scott McTominay for Antony, putting Fernandes in a deeper role.

He ended up scoring the equalizer from the spot before adding a late one. He finished with two shots on target, three key passes, and two dribbles completed.

#1. A welcome result for Manchester United ahead of the international break

Manchester United have had an absolutely packed run of fixtures. Since the FIFA World Cup break, the Red Devils have been involved in four competitions. This has culminated in a hectic February which saw them play eight games in the month.

However, they have continued to maintain a positive outlook for the season. They have lifted the Carabao Cup alongside maintaining their stronghold on a top-four Premier League finish. The international break could serve as a valuable break for some of their players.