Joshua Zirkzee was visibly distraught and in tears after Manchester United’s painful exit from the FA Cup.
Manchester United and Fulham drew 1-1, leading to a penalty shootout to decide the FA Cup match.
The Dutch forward missed the crucial penalty, leading to his team’s elimination from the competition.
Zirkzee was visibly emotional on the field after the match ended.
His teammates immediately offered comfort to the clearly upset player.
Fulham player Alex Iwobi was also seen showing his support to the Netherlands international.
Manager Ruben Amorim also put a comforting arm around him.
Previously, Zirkzee was the hero for United in the FA Cup third round against Arsenal.
He scored the winning penalty at the Emirates Stadium, knocking Arsenal out of the cup.
However, this time, Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno correctly anticipated and saved the penalty from the former Bologna player.
Coach Amorim had given Zirkzee his third consecutive start.
Fulham initially took the lead in the first half with a header from Calvin Bassey from an Andreas Pereira corner.
The goal was strikingly similar to a goal Fulham scored in their 2023 FA Cup match at Old Trafford.
However, Bruno Fernandes equalized, sending the game into extra time with a powerful first-time shot past Leno.
Neither team managed to score during the additional 30 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout.
Victor Lindelof was the first to falter when his penalty was saved by the German goalkeeper.
In a crucial moment, needing to score to keep his team in the competition, Zirkzee also had his penalty saved.
