Marco Silva delivers honest verdict on Fulham defeat to Manchester United

Marco Silva believes Fulham were unlucky to lose against Manchester United on the final day of the Premier League season.

Despite taking an early lead through Kenny Tete, the Cottagers were pegged back by Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes. However, Fulham blew the chance to go 2-0 up as David de Gea denied Aleksandar Mitrovic from the spot.

From that point, United seized control and ultimately secured a 2-1 victory to claim third spot in the Premier League. With Manchester City losing, the result serves as ideal preparation ahead of the FA Cup final next weekend.

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As for Fulham, defeat did little to alter their fate as a top-10 finish was already in the bag before a ball was kicked. Even a win would not have propelled them any further up the table but, as a newly-promoted club, the Cottagers can have few complaints.

But Silva remained adamant that his side should not have tasted defeat at Old Trafford. Speaking post-match, the 45-year-old highlighted Mitrovic’s failed spot-kick as the turning point.

"We didn't deserve to lose the game,” Silva said. “The game changed completely from that moment (the penalty save). We should have reacted in a different way.

“It was a moment for us to show maturity and handle the game differently but we haven't done that. The game showed again our quality and what we are doing with these players. All season we have to be really proud of what we did."