Key events
Teams!
Manchester United (3-4-3): Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot Fernandes, Ugarte, Mazraoui; Eriksen, Zirkzee; Hojlund. Subs: Graczyk, Murdock, Heaven, Lindelof, Casemiro, Garnacho, Obi.
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Pereira, Iwobi; Muniz. Subs: Benda, Cuenca, Diop, Sessegnon, Reed, Cairney, Smith Rowe, Willian, Jimenez.
Referee: Stuart Atwell (Nuneaton)
Also going on…
Before we get going with our game, it’s 10 v 10 at St James’, it’s 1-1 with four minutes injury-time to play … and there’s been a development!
Preamble
We live in age of extremes, and even as the world order is bulldozed by artless dunces, there remains little as extreme than football. Dealing almost uniquely in polarised emotions – love and hate, buzzing and gutted, furious and sanguine – never has it reflected our world more.
As such, it is unsurprising that, as we ponder a fascinating cup-tie, all the fuss is about the rich folk noisily failing, imposing unwarranted suffering on all connected to it bar those whose fault it is . Handed a new contract to a failing manager? Fire some workers. Bussed a dizzying sum of money buying him yet more substandard players? Increase ticket prices. Spend over £20m firing him a few months later, as everyone else knew you would? Serve staff gruel for dinner.
Really, though, we should be talking about Fulham. After returning to the Premier League in 2022, they finished 10th then 13th and now, with 10 games left in their third season back, they sit comfortably in ninth. The work of Marco Silva and his players – set against the backdrop of an expensively extended ground – may be understated, but it is not less brilliant for that.
Of course, our world being our world and our football being our football, not everything is ideal – Fulham tickets are as disgracefully priced as anyone’s – but they remain an example of a rare and underrated skill: competence. A level that, should their players hit it today, would give them an excellent chance of progressing to the last eight of a competition they’ve never won. This is going to be good.
Kick-off: 4.30pm GMT
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