Marco Silva hailed Fulham’s ‘composure’ after his side knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup on penalties and set up a home quarter-final against Crystal Palace.

The Whites could quite easily have won the tie in the ninety minutes after Calvin Bassey had headed them in front on the stroke of half time, but were able to score a second either before or after Bruno Fernandes’ fine equaliser in the 71st minute. Both sides had chances to settle the issue in extra time, but Bernd Leno brilliantly saved spot-kicks from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee to spark delirious celebrations from the travelling supporters.

Silva told his post-match press conference:

We wanted to be in the next stage, we wanted to play in the quarter-finals and I really believe, and it’s my feeling, that we deserve to be there. We knew that the way Manchester United is going to play, it’s not easy to come here and to take the control of the game, knowing that they love the open space to counter-attack. First half, we were not at our best. We said some things at half-time, and I think the team improved [in the] last thirty minutes of the second half, even with the goal from Bruno.

I think we controlled the game, we started to find always Sander Berge alone every single moment of the game, and after from that we built, to Saša, or Emile, or Andreas as well. All the extra-time was the same – we took the control. To come here and to take the game to their defensive half, we know always that we take risks in that situation, because since Garnacho came in, they had the pace of him to create problems, and that was the only problem they created, from counter-attack situations.

They had chances, like we had as well. In that aspect, I think the game was balanced, but much more us in control, much more taking the responsibility to control the game on the ball – it is our way, our identity and overall looking at the game,  I really believe that we deserve to be in the next stage.

I love the composure of our team. We prepared really well. We knew what the game could demand from ourselves, for the ninety, for the 120 minutes, even for the penalties. the composure of our players…was great to see Raúl, Sander, Willian and Robinson do it the way they did. I told the players in the last seconds before the penalty shoot-out that we’ve come a long way, to be in the next stage.

I know that it’s not easy away from home, with this crowd, to take the responsibility in that moment in the penalty shoot-out, but it was a moment for us to embrace the challenge, and to go and do what we prepared, the way they did it in the training sessions. They did it fantastically. Of course, Leno, it was a moment for him to do his part, and he did it in every way.”