Manchester United snatched a point at Craven Cottage today, drawing 1-1 against Fulham after Matheus Cunha fired in a deflected leveller in the 89th minute. That late goal was a crucial one, keeping them from a straight-up loss against a Fulham side still hunting their first league win under manager Alvaro Arbeloa. It was Cunha’s fifth goal in seven games against Fulham, proving he’s a real thorn in their side!
Early Season Struggles Are Real
Before that dramatic equalizer, things were looking pretty rough for United. The first half was a total stalemate, 0-0, with neither team really breaking through. Then, in the 63rd minute, Fulham actually took the lead thanks to an own goal from Martínez. United’s play, especially in the 15 minutes leading up to that Fulham goal, was described as “poor.” You could tell United really missed Sesko today; even with Cunha being the late hero, he definitely looked way more dangerous when playing over on the left wing.
Cunha didn’t pull any punches either, saying, “After we conceded the goal, we played much better … but this needs to be from the start.” Seriously, that’s a brutal self-assessment! It wasn’t like they weren’t trying, though. We saw Martínez find room for a strike only for it to be blocked, and later volley over the bar. There were corners that went nowhere, like when Fernandes tried to find Maguire, or United wasted a burst forward because Dorgu couldn’t take down a diagonal ball from Maguire. Fulham had their moments too, with Mbeumo whipping in a dangerous cross that a Fulham head got to, and rushing down the right for his own strike.
Where Do United Go From Here?
Looking at the Premier League standings after five games, Manchester United is stuck down at 12th place with five points and a goal difference of zero. Fulham isn’t doing much better in 19th with just two points. Man City is already way out in front with 15 points, and Arsenal has 12. Brighton, Brentford, Leeds, Liverpool, and Everton are all sitting on 9 points, leaving United trailing significantly.
Despite Carrick leading them to third last season, fans are clearly not happy. The report mentioned “quite a few angry emails coming in about United,” and honestly, who can blame them? Key players like Fernandes, who usually brings that “magic,” were uncharacteristically quiet today. Even a handball shout after a United corner involving Bassey in the 86th minute was waved off by VAR. It’s only five games in, and Carrick probably isn’t going anywhere, but you gotta wonder when this team will flip the switch. United needs to find a way to bring that “played much better” energy from the very first whistle, not just when they’re chasing the game. They’ve got to turn things around fast if they want to climb out of the middle of the pack and into some respectable form.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Guardian.
Leave a Reply