United Beyond Manchester

Manchester United edged Fulham at Craven Cottage thanks to solid defending and a deflected goal from Lisandro Martinez.

Match Flow

While the first-half possession was 50-50, Fulham dominated the chances created. Alex Iwobi was the most dangerous player for the hosts, forcing two saves from Andre Onana. Emile Smith-Rowe had a great opportunity denied by a perfectly-timed tackle by Lisandro Martinez in the 15th minute to keep the match level early.

Manchester United’s first shot did not come until after the 40th minute and was a Matthijs De Ligt header that deflected straight into the arms of Bernd Leno.

Despite Fulham’s dominance, Manchester United defended well to keep the score level.

Not much changed in the second half as the tight battle yielded little in attacking action. However, everything changed in the 78th minute thanks to Lisandro Martinez.

A cutback from Alejandro Garnacho to Toby Collyer was ineffectively cleared by Fulham’s defense, providing a chance for Martinez to run onto the ball. The Argentine defender took a touch and struck a shot that deflected wickedly over the head of Leno, giving the Reds a 1-0 lead at Craven Cottage.

Fulham nearly had the leveler they wanted in the 88th minute, but a goal-line clearance from Toby Collyer preserved Manchester United’s lead.

Amad Diallo thought he had scored a second goal during a well-orchestrated attack with Kobbie Mainoo, but a VAR review detected an offside in the buildup, leading to the disallowance of the goal.

Analysis

Manchester United played defensively sound and avoided mistakes against Fulham. In recent losses, the Reds either had mistakes or lapses in concentration that led to goals for the opposition. When the team plays smart, mistake-free football wins come, even if they are ugly ones.

Despite the win, the performance left more questions than answers for Manchester United’s attack. Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and Joshua Zirkzee combined for zero shots, while the team as a whole only totaled four. The issues range from finishing to chance creation, leaving Ruben Amorim with no easy options for quick improvement.

The transfer window closes in a little over a week. Is there time for United to find help in the attack?

Next Match

Manchester United finish the Europa League group phase with a trip to Bucharest on Thursday. A win over FCSB would secure a finish in the final eight, while anything less could mean joining the playoff phase.