A place in the FA Cup quarter-finals will be on the line when Manchester United and Fulham face off at Old Trafford in the fifth round on Saturday.
The FA Cup fifth round continues on Sunday, which will feature two games. The action on the day will start with the match between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion before ending with Manchester United vs Fulham at Old Trafford.
Manchester United qualified for the FA Cup fifth round after beating Arsenal and Leicester City in the previous phases. The Red Devils got to this stage by the skin of their teeth, and they will aim for a better performance this weekend. However, Ruben Amorim’s men have been dreadful in domestic games, although they have somehow managed a two-game unbeaten run in the past week.
On the other hand, Fulham reached the FA Cup fifth round by getting past Watford and Wigan Athletic in the previous stages. However, the Cottagers have blown hot and cold in the Premier League in the last few weeks, although they returned to winning ways earlier this week by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Manchester United and Fulham have faced off twice in the 2024/25 season, with the Red Devils clinching a 1-0 win in each clash. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ruben Amorim has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United manager might be bereft of the services of as many as ten first-team players vs Fulham on Saturday.
Patrick Dorgu is the latest absentee after seeing red against Ipswich Town earlier this week. In addition, Amorim is sweating over Alejandro Garnacho’s fitness, although he should be available. Dorgu accompanies Altay Bayindir (unspecified), Jonny Evans (lower back), Lisandro Martinez (knee), Luke Shaw (calf), Kobbie Mainoo (muscle), Toby Collyer (knock), Mason Mount (thigh), and Amad Diallo (ankle) on the sidelines.
Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Fulham on Sunday. The central defensive unit should feature Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt. Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot will be the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro. Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho will join Joshua Zirkzee in the final third, with Rasmus Hojlund and Chido Obi-Martin being backup options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, de Ligt; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dalot; Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes; Zirkzee
Fulham
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Marco Silva has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Fulham manager might be without four first-team players on Sunday.
Silva is sweating over Emile Smith Rowe’s fitness, with the English international requiring a late test to determine his availability. However, Kenny Tete (knee), Harry Wilson (foot), and Reiss Nelson (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Bernd Leno will take his spot between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Sunday. The backline should feature Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic in the double pivot. Andreas Pereira will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Adama Traore and Alex Iwobi being the two wide attackers. Finally, Rodrigo Muniz will spearhead the Fulham attack against Manchester United on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Pereira, Iwobi; Muniz
Key Stats
- Manchester United have progressed from their last nine FA Cup ties vs Fulham since a 2-1 quarter-final defeat in 1908.
- Manchester United have lost only one of their 21 most recent games vs Fulham in all competitions (W17 D3). The Red Devils have beaten the West London outfit 1-0 in both Premier League meetings this season.
- Sunday’s clash will be the fourth time Fulham will face the holders of the FA Cup. They have been eliminated on the previous three occasions (4-5 vs Newcastle United in 1955/56, 1-2 vs West Bromwich Albion in 1968/69 and 0-4 vs Manchester City in 2019/20).
- Manchester United have progressed from their last 14 FA Cup fifth-round ties since losing 1-0 to Liverpool in 2005/06. Indeed, the Red Devils have reached the quarter-final of the competition in nine of the last ten campaigns.
- Fulham will look to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the second time in the three most recent seasons, beating Leeds United 2-0 in the fifth round in the 2022/23 campaign.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
While Andreas Pereira and Alejandro Garnacho were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as our Player to Watch for Saturday’s FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Fulham. The Manchester United captain has come under fire from Roy Keane this week in a bizarre rant.
However, the Portuguese international remains a pivotal figure for Manchester United, and he has been integral to the last six goals the Red Devils have scored. He also provided the assist as Harry Maguire scored the match-winning strike against Ipswich Town.
Meanwhile, Fernandes has been involved in 11 goals in his last 11 appearances in the FA Cup, scoring seven and assisting four times. He has only failed to register a goal or an assist in two of these 11 games. So, the 30-year-old playmaker will be the go-to player for Amorim against Fulham this weekend.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Fulham
Manchester United might have blown hot and cold in the Premier League throughout the 2024/25 season. However, the Red Devils have somehow managed to eke positive results in the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. In addition, they have an impeccable record in the FA Cup fifth round.
However, Fulham will give the hosts a run for their money, and it will not be surprising to see them clinching a victory. However, Manchester United’s hustle in the FA Cup will continue, with Bruno Fernandes inspiring another crucial result. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ruben Amorim and his charges.