Manchester United vs. Fulham | FA Cup | Fifth Round | Pre Match
Manchester United vs. Fulham
Resuming their quest for successive FA Cup crowns, holders Manchester United vie for a spot in the quarter-finals with fellow top-flight outfit Fulham on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, a venue steeped in history and now poised for another chapter in this storied competition. Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils controversially advanced past Leicester City with a 2-1 fourth-round win on February 7, a match marred by Harry Maguire’s offside header that clinched victory in front of a raucous home crowd, bypassing VAR’s absence to spark ‘offside time’ debates as coined by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy. Fulham, under Marco Silva, edged out 2012-13 winners Wigan Athletic by the same scoreline, with Rodrigo Muniz’s brace securing their fifth-round berth. United’s midweek 3-2 Premier League triumph over Ipswich Town—Maguire again the hero with a headed winner—offered respite from a dismal run of one point in three prior league games, leaving them 14th in the standings. For Amorim’s side, reeling from injuries and inconsistency, retaining the FA Cup looms as their clearest path back to Europe, bolstered by a formidable record of 14 straight fifth-round wins since Liverpool ousted them in 2005-06, a streak they’ll aim to extend against a Fulham side dreaming of a maiden FA Cup triumph after their 1975 final loss.
The Theatre of Dreams has been a mixed bag for Manchester United this season, their 2-1 Leicester win in the FA Cup fourth round a gritty affair turned controversial by Maguire’s offside goal, Bobby Decordova-Reid’s opener cancelled out by Joshua Zirkzee before the decisive, debated header. That tenacity resurfaced in midweek’s 3-2 league win over Ipswich, despite playing the second half with 10 men after Patrick Dorgu’s red card, yet their 14th-place Premier League standing reflects a broader struggle—only one point from three games prior to Ipswich. Amorim’s men lean on their FA Cup pedigree, unbeaten in the fifth round for nearly two decades, a run that contrasts with Fulham’s quest for a first-ever title. Silva’s Cottagers, buoyed by Muniz’s midweek chip in a 2-1 win over Wolves—their fourth victory in five across all competitions—arrive as dark horses, their top-half Premier League position and four straight away wins (scoring twice in each of their last seven on the road) signaling danger. United’s Europa League hopes remain, but the FA Cup’s historical favor—last denied at this stage in 2005-06 by eventual winners Liverpool—positions them as favorites, albeit against a Fulham side thriving on rival turf.
Fulham’s resurgence under Marco Silva has them firmly in the European race, their 2-1 FA Cup win over Wigan—Muniz’s double the difference—following victories over Watford and a midweek 2-1 Premier League triumph against Wolves, where Muniz’s flair sealed their fourth win in five. Sitting comfortably in the top half of the Premier League, the Cottagers have defied their 1975 FA Cup final loss legacy, their only prior final appearance, to emerge as 2024-25 contenders. Their road form is impeccable—four consecutive away wins, with two goals in each of their last seven away games—since United blanked them 1-0 on the season’s opening weekend at Old Trafford, a streak also punctuated by a 1-0 league loss at Craven Cottage and a chaotic 2022-23 FA Cup quarter-final defeat after Aleksandar Mitrovic’s red-card meltdown. Muniz mirrors Maguire’s clutch scoring, his Wigan and Wolves heroics echoing United’s captain’s Leicester and Ipswich feats, but Fulham’s scoring consistency contrasts with United’s patchy form, setting up a clash where Silva’s men could exploit United’s 14th-place wobble, despite the hosts’ fifth-round invincibility since 2005-06.
Manchester United’s FA Cup journey hinges on resilience amid adversity, their 2-1 Leicester win—tainted by Maguire’s offside header—followed by a 3-2 Ipswich victory that showcased grit with 10 men after Dorgu’s dismissal for a reckless tackle on Omari Hutchinson, triggering a three-game domestic ban. Injuries ravage Amorim’s squad: Lisandro Martinez (ACL), Amad Diallo (ankle), Luke Shaw (calf), Jonny Evans (back), and Mason Mount (thigh) are out, with Kobbie Mainoo, Toby Collyer, Tom Heaton, and Altay Bayindir doubtful, leaving Noussair Mazraoui likely to return after replacing a frustrated Alejandro Garnacho midweek, the Argentine’s tunnel exit raising selection questions. United’s 14 straight fifth-round wins since Liverpool’s 2005-06 upset—when the Reds won the cup—offer historical ballast, but their one point from three league games before Ipswich and 14th-place standing underscore fragility. Fulham’s 1-0 defeats at Old Trafford and Craven Cottage this season, plus that 2022-23 quarter-final loss, tilt history United’s way, yet their depleted ranks face a Cottagers side averaging 2.0 goals in their last seven away games, a threat Amorim must counter to keep their cup defense alive.
Fulham’s FA Cup credentials grow with each round, their 2-1 Wigan win—Muniz’s brace key—building on a Watford scalp and a 2-1 Wolves victory that cemented their top-half Premier League status and four-in-five win streak across competitions. Silva’s side, chasing a first FA Cup after their 1975 runner-up finish, boast a road juggernaut: four straight away wins, scoring twice in each of their last seven, a run only United halted with that 1-0 season-opener shutout. Muniz’s midweek chip against Wolves mirrors his Wigan impact, securing his case over Raul Jimenez, while Sasa Lukic, free from a Premier League ban (10 yellows), should anchor midfield despite Emile Smith Rowe’s likely ankle-related absence, joined by Reiss Nelson (thigh), Harry Wilson (foot), and Kenny Tete (knee). Andreas Pereira, ex-United, steps up creatively, but facing United’s 14 fifth-round wins since 2005-06—when Liverpool triumphed—tests their mettle. Fulham’s 2-1 league and cup losses to United this term, plus that 2022-23 Mitrovic meltdown, loom, yet their form suggests they can challenge a United side limping with injuries and 14th in the league.
This Old Trafford showdown pits United’s FA Cup legacy—14 straight fifth-round wins, holders seeking back-to-back crowns—against Fulham’s dark-horse surge, their four away wins and 2.0 goals-per-game road streak since United’s 1-0 blanking on opening day. Maguire’s offside Leicester winner and Ipswich header (3-2) contrast Muniz’s Wigan brace and Wolves chip (2-1), clutch scorers defining both sides. United’s 2-1 Leicester fightback and 10-man Ipswich grit belie their 14th-place, one-point-in-three league rut, with Dorgu’s ban and injuries (Martinez, Diallo, Shaw, Evans, Mount) thinning a squad eyeing Europe via the cup or Europa League. Fulham’s 2-1 Wigan and Wolves wins, top-half standing, and four-in-five victories meet United’s 1-0 double over them this season and 2022-23 quarter-final chaos. Mazraoui’s recall and Garnacho’s mood test United, while Muniz and Pereira lead Fulham sans Smith Rowe. A tight 2-1 United win feels likely—Maguire’s headers trumping Muniz’s flair—balancing United’s cup pedigree with Fulham’s road form in a quarter-final chase.
Sunday’s FA Cup fifth-round battle at Old Trafford sees United’s 2-1 Leicester and 3-2 Ipswich wins—both Maguire-driven—clash with Fulham’s 2-1 Wigan and Wolves triumphs, Muniz’s star rising, as both vie for the quarter-finals. United’s 14 fifth-round wins since 2005-06 (Liverpool’s title year) and holder status meet Fulham’s maiden-title quest, their 1975 final loss their peak. Amorim’s men, 14th in the Premier League, lean on cup glory amid injuries (Martinez, Diallo, Shaw, Evans, Mount, Dorgu banned) and one point in three, while Silva’s top-half Cottagers ride four away wins and seven straight two-goal road games. United’s 1-0 wins over Fulham this season and 2022-23 quarter-final edge contrast Fulham’s four-in-five streak. Mazraoui and Garnacho face Muniz and Pereira, with United’s depleted ranks tested by Fulham’s form. A 2-1 United victory—Maguire again, Muniz replying—marries United’s FA Cup nous with Fulham’s resilience, keeping Amorim’s repeat dream alive against Silva’s upset bid.
