Manchester United came from behind to score three goals and beat Marco Silva’s Fulham.
Fulham took the lead courtesy of an unmarked Aleksandar Mitrovic who fired the ball into the back of the net just five minutes after the break.
A brace from Fernandes and a first United goal from Marcel Sabitzer were enough to complete the turnaround and send United through to the semi-finals.
United will face Brighton in the next round.
United or Fulham have drawn Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final. #MUFC #ThePeoplesPerson #FACup #Brighton #Fulham pic.twitter.com/Bdu2mthW5V
— The Peoples Person (@_peoplesperson_) March 19, 2023
An unsung hero against the Cottagers was David de Gea.
With the team under intense pressure, De Gea came up with a number of clutch saves to prevent the opposition from doubling their lead.
Even with the score at 0-0, inspired moments from De Gea still kept United in the game.
De Gea has been the subject of criticism from sections of the fanbase and the media for his perceived weaknesses in distribution, playing with his feet, initiating sweeping action and claiming high crosses.
The Spaniard shot-stopper had an impressive pass accuracy of 91%.
De Gea faced six shots from Fulham’s attackers.
He made five saves.
The 32-year-old successfully pinged six long balls to his teammates – a major improvement on his normally below-par attempts to pick out his colleagues from far range.
De Gea also made four saves from close range. He conceded only one when on the balance of things, many others could have gone in.
David De Gea’s game by numbers vs. Fulham:
91% pass accuracy
6 shots faced
6 long balls completed
5 saves
4 saves from close range
1 goal concededKept United in it at times. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/H2wAGN7a2a
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 19, 2023
It’s unlikely that De Gea will have completely shushed his doubters by doing well against Fulham.
He still needs to do more so as to convince Ten Hag that he should still be the man between the sticks beyond this term.