Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FA Cup match.
Manchester United are currently celebrating a narrow 3:2 win over what appears to be a relegation-bound Ipswich Town in the Premier League. The FA Cup, however, remains a more successful competition for them. Despite some ongoing issues, though of a smaller scale, they managed to win it last season and now look to defend their trophy.
Manchester United
Even if Manchester United were to accumulate the same 60 points as last season, they would still likely finish around eighth, a position they secured with only modest performances. Under Rúben Amorim, the Manchester side rarely managed to get higher than 12th place, and it’s all but certain that they’ll finish outside the top 10. With an average of just one win every three games, their best chance for European qualification could well come via the FA Cup. We suspect Rúben Amorim will be focusing his efforts on this competition.
Fulham
However, their 1/8 final opponent is no push-over. Fulham have been solid, even if they lost both league encounters with Manchester United this season (1:0 in both matches). But it’s Fulham who are in the top half of the table, not the former title-winning club. They have won three of their last four Premier League matches, including two away victories. Manchester United did manage to defeat them 1:0 on 26 January in a tough away match, but this one is likely to be different.
Manchester United vs Fulham Prediction
It’s true that Fulham were somewhat undone by defensive mistakes in the league meetings, but Manchester United's inconsistency still makes them unpredictable. That said, both teams are likely to find the back of the net in this encounter.
