MANCHESTER UNITED’S disastrous season plumbed new depths as they lost their grip on the FA Cup with a penalty shoot-out defeat by Fulham.
Zirkzee was in tears after missing the kick which clinched Fulham’s win as the visitors scored all four of their penalties.
As they languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table, with a raft of redundancies to backroom staff and a squad ravaged by injuries, the world’s oldest knock-out competition offered plenty of fortune for United – until this.
After Harry Maguire’s offside injury-time winner against Leicester in the last round, the toenail offside decision that robbed Coventry of an extraordinary comeback in last season’s semi-final and the Amad Diallo winner an epic 4-3 quarter-final victory over Liverpool, there always seems to be late drama involving United in this competition.
But this time it went against United, who have now lost seven home matches under Ruben Amorim – and must now reply on the Europa League as their only route back into European competition next season.
United were the better of two poor teams as Bruno Fernandes struck to cancel out Calvin Bassey’s first-half header.
But neither side could find a winner in a wild and wide-open spell of extra-time.
And Marco Silva’s side, who had lost a marathon shoot-out to Preston in the Carabao Cup this season were spared a similar fate again here, as they seek a first Cup Final appearance in 50 years.
Despite United’s traumas in the Premier League, they had done the double over Fulham and lost just once to the Craven Cottage club in 21 previous meetings.
Silva’s side, nine points clear of United in the league table, have been routinely beating teams in the top half of the table but coming unstuck against struggling sides.
Two years ago, Fulham led 1-0 here in a quarter-final, until a major meltdown earned them three cards – including one for Aleksandar Mitrovic pushing the referee – and ending up losing 3-1.
Alejandro Garnacho was benched after his midweek strop in the win against Ipswich and Amorim named just five outfield players on the bench – Fulham’s substitutes looking a far stronger group.
Still, Amorim’s men started with fire in their bellies, winning plenty in midfield and going close three times in the opening 20 minutes.
First, Manuel Ugarte outmuscled Fulham skipper Antonee Robinson and teed up Bruno Fernandes for a shot pushed wide by Bernd Leno.
Then Christian Eriksen centred low to the near post where Rasmus Hojlund fired wide.
And next Eriksen’s curling shot was pushed away by Leno.
Fulham were error-strewn, conceding possession far too easily.
On 20 minutes, Old Trafford was united in protest against 20 years of the Glazer family’s ownership – as well as a dig at Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ticket pricing policy.
Ugarte was booked for tripping former United man Andreas Pereira on the edge of the box but Sasa Lukic wasted the free-kick.
Both sides were sinking in an ocean of mediocrity, the quality of their panic-stations passing desperately low.
When Fulham did finally carve out a chance, Alex Iwobi’s cross picking out Lukic’s darting run, the Serb headed high and wide with the goal at his mercy.
Joshua Zirkzee nodded wide from a Fernandes cross and United were the better of two poor teams – only to fall to a sucker punch in first-half injury time.
It was a well-worked routine from the visitors, Pereira’s dead-ball kick finding Rodrigo Muniz who steered a downward header towards the back post for Bassey to nut it past Andre Onana.
It was only Bassey’s third goal for Fulham – and his second at Old Trafford.
Straight after the break, Adama Traore was forced to limp off, replaced by Emile Smith Rowe – and Amorim sent Garnacho off the naughty step in place of Ugarte, with Viktor Lindelof on for Leny Yoro.
And Smith Rowe was soon forcing a decent save from Onana after a swift exchange of passes from Silva’s side.
As things started to look desperate, Amorim sent on teenage striker Chido Obi in place of Hojlund and Casemiro replaced Eriksen.
There had been little sign of a United equaliser before it arrived on 71 minutes – a clever cut-back from Diogo Dalot finding Fernandes who drilled low, first time, into the bottom corner.
It was the captain’s eighth goal of Amorim’s reign – who knows where United would be without him?
Momentarily, Old Trafford was transformed from library into bearpit.
Still, Fulham were creating the chances – Iwobi picked out Muniz with a searching pass but the Brazilian’s effort was deflected wide in a tangle of feet, then Pereira fired one wide.
Garnacho was beginning to get his dancing feet going down the left but the place was a hive of anxiety – on the pitch and off.
Silva sent on his veterans, Raul Jimenez and Willian and, In injury-time, Smith Rowe forced an excellent save from Onana.
And Obi almost snatched glory when he tangled with Bassey and shot wide – when the kid might have earned a spot-kick had he gone to ground.
Garnacho was then thwarted by a sprawling save from Leno before we went into extra-time.
Obi went close again at the end of the first period, an angled chip turned around the post expertly by Leno.
In a chaotic, wide-open period of extra-time, Onana was busy once more when he got down to the foot of his post to keep out sub Ryan Sessegnon.
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