United march on as Fulham implode in 37 crazy seconds
MELTDOWN: Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic (centre) is sent off by referee Chris Kavanagh during the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final match at Old Trafford.
Three red cards and a penalty award in 37 seconds of mayhem turned this FA Cup quarter-final irrevocably the way of Manchester United.
Fulham were cruising, a goal up and proving the better team, until they had Willian, goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and manager Marco Silva all shown the red card.
Willian was red-carded for handling Jadon Sancho’s shot, an offence which brought United a penalty, while Silva claimed afterwards he was dismissed for leaving his technical area while referee Chris Kavanagh was conducting a check on Willian’s offence.
More seriously, Mitrovic then saw red for a shove on the official which could land him in more hot water, with Paolo Di Canio receiving an 11-match ban for a similar offence in 1997.
When the dust had settled, Bruno Fernandes tucked away the spot kick, Marcel Sabitzer scored his first United goal a minute later and Fernandes added a late third to tee up a Wembley semi-final against Brighton next month - with the possibility of an all-Manchester final to follow.
Silva admitted afterwards that he and his players needed to show more self-control but denied that Mitrovic’s offence was worthy of a long ban, and also said he himself had not been red-carded for his protest at the VAR check but for leaving his technical area while the check was in progress.
The Fulham manager said: “In all the moments in games we should control the emotions of the game. Of course we are human beings but we have to understand the business of the games.
“I got the red card before the (penalty) decision and if I got the red card for being out of my area I have to accept because I didn’t say anything to make him give me the red card. If you ask me if I should be in my area, I say yes.”
Mitrovic could face further FA action but Silva suggested his player was incensed at the VAR’s failure to check on two incidents in the United box in the first half.
“Mitro, he should control the emotions in that moment, even if we had two moments in the box that the referee didn’t give and he was involved in all that moments, at the same time he has to control the emotions quick,” he said.
The flurry of dismissals and the penalty changed the course of the game after Mitrovic had given Fulham a deserved lead - and almost doubled it.
The Reds trailed until Willian was adjudged to have handled Jadon Sancho’s goalbound shot, after referee Chris Kavanagh had been advised by the VAR to check the pitchside monitor.
Before he could do that, he was verbally admonished by Fulham manager Marco Silva, who afterwards claimed he could not remember what he had said.
Fulham players were incensed, claiming Willian had his hand tucked into his body. Mitrovic led their vigorous protests and was also red-carded after laying hands on Kavanagh.
Once the dust had settled, Bruno Fernandes calmly tucked away the spot kick and within a minute United were ahead, Marcel Sabitzer turning in Luke Shaw’s cross.
From a goal up and cruising towards a semi-final date with Brighton, Fulham were suddenly behind, down to nine men and rudderless with Silva away down the tunnel.
Such drama had Old Trafford buzzing, but it covers up a multitude of sins which indicate that United, while certainly on a decent upward curve, are still a long way from being back.
Fulham were the better side until a break from Antony had set up Sancho for the attempt which brought the penalty, and should have been two or three goals to the good.
United manager Erik ten Hag was reluctant to be drawn into the hoo-ha surrounding Fulham’s meltdown, and had some sympathy for his fellow manager, saying. When asked if it is imperative that managers and players control their emotions: “You have to but it is not easy.
“I was last week so frustrated when you see so many bad decisions and then you feel it is against you but you have to clear your mind and keep managing the game.”
David De Gea was United’s best player for an hour, tipping over Issa Diop’s header and then tipping Willian;s drive round the post.
But he could do nothing as Diop touched on Andreas Pereira’s corner and Mitrovic reacted quickest to smash the ball home.
The United keeper did brilliantly to claw away a Mitrovic header after Harry Maguire’s pointless foul on Bobby Cordova-Reid in the corner - not his only gaffe of the day - had given Fulham another chance from a setpiece.
Fulham looked comfortable until Antony’s break caught them napping, and the three red cards and penalty award completely changed the course of the game.
From that point on, there was no looking back, and Fernandes wrapped it up deep in added time with an imperious strike for a scoreline neither team deserved.
United are on the way back, and it could be argued that they had enough spirit to dig a victory out of a morass of ordinariness, the kind of result that often leads to silverware The Reds now face Brighton in the semi-final at Wembley next month, with the winners of that taking on either Manchester City or Sheffield United in the final.
De Gea 8, Wan-Bissaka 6, Martinez6, Maguire 5, Shaw 6, Sabitzer 6, McTominay 6 (Antony 58, 7), Fernandes 7, Sancho 6, Weghorst 5 Rashford 6 (Fred 83) Subs: Butland, Lindelof, Malacia, Dalot, Pellistri, Elanga, Mainoo
: Leno 7, Tete 7 (Soares 89), Diop 7, Ream 7 (James 89), Robinson 7, Reed 8, Palhinha 7, Cordova-Reid 6 (Solomon 89), Pereira 7 (Cairney 89), Willian 7, Mitrovic 8 Subs: Rodak, Adarabioyo, Wilson, Lukic, Vinicius.
: Chris Kavanagh 5
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