MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Fulham were thumping in the FA Cup against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
But in a span of five chaotic minutes in the last quarter hour, the visitors ended up with nine men, their manager was sent off and they conceded two goals.
Fulham’s collapse was epic, and United did not forgive to advance to the semi-finals by claiming a 3-1 victory at home.
An attractive final against Manchester United is on the horizon as the rivals fell on opposite sides in the draw for the penultimate phase.
The prospect of a Manchester classic at Wembley on June 3 seemed unlikely when Aleksandar Mitrovic put Fulham ahead 50 minutes into Sunday’s quarter-final.
The match was turned upside down when the Fulham players and manager Marco Silva lost their tempers.
First, Jadon Sancho’s shot on goal was blocked on the line by William, prompting the United player to claim that the Brazilian had deflected the ball with his hand.
The VAR room called referee Chris Kavanagh to review the play and before he could make a decision, Silva was red carded for his claims from the sidelines.
Willian was also sent off by hand and Mitrovic saw another red card for his furious reaction.
The three expulsions occurred in a period of 40 seconds.
“Even though I didn’t do anything fancy, I should have controlled myself,” Silva said after the game. “I didn’t say anything special to the referee, he didn’t listen to me and showed me the red card. It was a time to control my emotions. The game was decided on the spot.”
Immediately afterwards, Bruno Fernandes executed the maximum penalty at 75 minutes to level the score. Marcel Sabitzer put United up 2-1 in the 77th.
Fernandes ruled in discounts and made the appointment for the semifinal against Brighton at Wembley. City will face Sheffield United.
“The only important thing is not to anticipate things,” United manager Erik ten Hag said. “You have to go game by game.”
In a matchup of second division teams, Sheffield advanced with a 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers. Brighton certified their ticket after beating fourth division Grimsby 5-0.
