How Chido Obi-Martin & Ayden Heaven Performed in Man Utd’s FA Cup Loss vs Fulham

In brief
Manchester United lost to Fulham in the FA Cup on penalties.
Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi Martin, both young players, made significant appearances during Sunday’s loss.
Obi Martin and Heaven should be given more consistent first team minutes, according to fans.
When Fulham eliminated Manchester United from the FA Cup fifth round on penalties, Ruben Amorim’s dreams of taking home domestic hardware in his first season as manager came crashing to a halt. Bruno Fernandes tied the score late in the second half, forcing the reigning champions to come back from falling behind after a header from Calvin Bassey.

Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee missed their vital penalty kicks, sending United reeling, but the home team was unable to find a breakthrough despite pushing and generating opportunities for the next half. Although the loss adds another stain to Ruben Amorim’s record of a challenging start to life at the club, there were some encouraging aspects of the game.

Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi Martin, both former Arsenal youths, were given significant minutes off the bench at Old Trafford and were expected to have enough of an impact to advance United to the round of eight. Fans were nonetheless thrilled by what they witnessed from the two teenagers, even though it was not to be.

Chido Obi Martin and Ayden Heaven’s Performance’s Against Fulham

Both teenagers impressed with their cameos

To the cheers of the majority of Old Trafford’s supporters, Obi Martin was the first of the two players to enter the game. He replaced Rasmus Hojlund in the 68th minute. Although the Dane found it difficult to pose a serious danger while on the field, his 17-year-old replacement made sure to cause trouble and had a few chances to win the game for his club.

Obi Martin had three shots on goal, one of which caused Fulham keeper Bernd Leno to make a fantastic close-range save. The striker was incredibly determined to get on a ball before he opened his body up well and looked for the far corner. With another attempt, he got quite near, beating Leno to a loose ball but only managing to curl it past the post.

That was more than Hojlund had accomplished in front of goal during the entire game, but his young countryman also outperformed his £72 million teammate in terms of dribbling success, touches, and pass accuracy.

Fulham vs. Obi Martin & Hojlund Stats

Statistics

Martin Obi

Hojlund

Minutes

Targeted Shots

One

Missed Target Shots

One

Dribbles Attempt (Achieved)

Two (2)

Two (0)

Feelings

Passes (Finished)

Five (4)

Four (2)

Duels on the Ground (Won)

Six (3)

Two (0)

Airborne Battles (Winned)

Two (1)

3 (1)

Loss of Possession

Time Spent

One

Heaven, meanwhile, barely made a mistake when he took Harry Maguire’s place at the start of extra time. In a composed performance that saw United attack in the extra session while needing to be on the lookout for Fulham counterattacks as they piled men forward in search of a winner, the 18-year-old won both of his aerial duels and completed all of his passes.

Heaven did not appear out of place next to the seasoned Matthijs De Ligt and Lindelof, considering that this was his debut club appearance and only his second senior career. In the aftermath, he and Obi Martin received a lot of social media appreciation for their efforts.

Fans React to United’s Young Duo

Many spoke positively of the impact Obi Martin and Heaven had on proceedings

Ayden Heaven defended superbly when he came on. Obi was so unlucky not to score. Good save by Leno. #MUFC 🇾🇪🔴 pic.twitter.com/lXIrlaPDRS

— Kyle Quinn (@GloryGloryPod) March 2, 2025

In the aftermath, the two teens offered United supporters a something to celebrate about on the internet, despite the disappointment of losing the competition. “Ayden Heaven I have invested heavily in your stocks, son,” one admirer said on Heaven, while another asserted that both players were prepared for increased playing time in the starting lineup.

Supporters were quick to criticise those who argue that Hojlund’s recent problems are only due to the lack of service being given to the former Atalanta player, pointing out specifically how Obi Martin’s optimism allowed him to create opportunities for himself.

“To everyone who always complains that Hojlund doesn’t get enough chances, I hope you all saw Chido Obi putting himself in good positions and creating chances for himself out of nothing,” one fan wrote, while another said, “Chido Obi was more of a goal threat in 30 minutes than Hojlund has in the last 6 months.” You want your striker to do that, and he’s only 17 years old.”