2
Manchester United had to come back from a goal down once again to make the FA Cup semifinals as they defeat Fulham 3-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
They were aided by a couple of Fulham players losing their heads in the second-half with both Willian and Aleksander Mitrovic showed straight red cards. Manager Marco Silva was also shown his marching orders for dissent.
The incident that changed the game arrived in the 70th minute. United broke on the counter and Bruno Fernandes released Antony down the right who charged at the Fulham back-line and released Sancho in all sorts of space.
Sancho wins the penalty that changed the game
The England man who was a peripheral figure up till that point rounded the keeper and tried to pass it into the net only for Willian to handle the ball on the line and see red and United got a penalty as well.
With Fulham down to nine men, Sancho once again started gaining in confidence and it was his ball down the line that Luke Shaw diverted into the path of Marcel Sabitzer for his first goal as a United player.
The England winger finished the game with an impressive passing accuracy rate of 93%. But the former Borussia Dortmund man could have got on the scoresheet himself but for some tentative play.
Jadon Sancho’s game by numbers vs. Fulham:
93% pass accuracy
6 ground duels won
5 dribbles
3 key passes
2 tackles won
2 shots
1 penalty wonTidy. 👏 pic.twitter.com/CimBUCPr9y
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 19, 2023
He kept checking back, even when provided the room to run and tried to play the safer option, hence the high pass count.
Sancho did complete five dribbles and he does have the calmness and quickness of his feet when required but he still seems short of confidence and afraid to take on his man at will.
The 22-year-old does, however, have the ability to play cute passes around the side of defenders as was seen with the second goal. He made five key passes in total during the game.
Sancho needs to keep improving
Unlike Antony or the other wingers like Marcus Rashford, Sancho is not afraid to do his share of the dirty work as he won two tackles as well as six ground duels.
Sancho did make the difference in the end and it should give him a bit more confidence heading into the international break. The United coaches will keep working with him in a bid to revive his lost form.
Ten Hag will be pleased with the result but not the performance from his winger. He will be aware that Sancho has a lot more in his locker and it needs to be unlocked as United try and win both the FA Cup and Europa League.
United Matchday Magazine – be in the know about everything in red!
Still itching for more United content? Get everything you need right here. For just £3 per issue/£3.75 a month you’ll receive unique insights into United, straight to your inbox – before the big match and during the transfer window!
- Get the exclusive build-up to the match, plus team news, tactics and history.
- Not only that – United Matchday is jam-packed with articles, news, transfer news, puzzles, nostalgia and humour.
- Impress your friends and be in the know about everything in red!
