Manchester United came from behind to win in dramatic FA Cup match against Fulham after referee dished out three red cards.
Fulham’s hopes of reaching its first FA Cup semi-final in 21 years self-destructed over a chaotic seven minutes when they had two players and manager Marco Silva sent off.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s goal in the 50th minute gave Silva’s team a 1-0 lead and the chance to play Brighton at Wembley, but they collapsed amid tragic events at Old Trafford.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was escorted to the pitchside monitor by Var Neil Swarbrick in the 70th minute after Willian blocked Jadon Sancho’s attempt from the goal line.
However, Silva yelled at the referee and was immediately sent off, causing chaos before Kavanagh had even watched the video and decided to give Manchester United a penalty.
Willian was then given a red card by Kavanagh for his antics, and a few seconds after, Mitrovic approached him and shoved him.
The moment Mitrovic flashed another red card, Fulham’s striker lost all composure and started badgering the official.
As Mitrovic continued to attack Kavanagh, there was a massive brawl involving players from both sides.
At one moment, Fulham’s first team coach, Luis Boa Morte invaded the pitch and tried to push Mitrovic away, only for the striker to go back for more.
When order was eventually restored, Bruno Fernandes calmly converted the penalty to give United a point, and two minutes later, Marcel Sabitzer gave Erik ten Hag’s team the lead by turning in a cross from Luke Shaw.
Deep into stoppage time, Ferrnandes added his second and United’s third to further Fulham’s misery.
Manchester United To Face Brighton Next
In the FA Cup semifinals, Brighton will take on Manchester United, while Manchester City will play Championship team Sheffield United.
City defeated Burnley 6-0 on Saturday to go to the round of four.
On Sunday, the Blades defeated Blackburn 3-2 before League Two Grimsby’s dream run to the round of eight was terminated by Brighton with a 5-0 victory.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United overcame a 1–0 deficit to defeat Fulham 3–1.
On the weekends of April 22 and 23, Wembley Stadium will host both semifinal matches.
Erling Haaland, the standout forward for City, scored a hat-trick in the victory over the Clarets.
The Sheffield United team will be playing in its first FA Cup semifinal since 2014.
Tommy Doyle and Jamie McAtee of the Blades will not be eligible to play against six-time FA Cup champion City because loan players are not permitted to compete against their parent clubs in the competition.
To advance the Blades to Wembley, Doyle scored a stoppage-time winner against Blackburn, another Championship team.
While Manchester United has won the FA Cup 12 times, Brighton hasn’t advanced past the quarterfinals since 2019.
Teams Left In The FA Cup
The FA Semifinals which will be played on 22nd and 23rd of April will be a resounding one as just four teams are left in the competition.
These teams includes:
- Manchester City v Sheffield United
- Brighton v Manchester United
