Manchester United secured a 1-0 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage, marking their eighth consecutive Premier League win at the venue.
Fulham kicked off the match with a seven-point lead over United, but the first half showcased a tightly contested battle with little to separate the two sides. Alex Iwobi, enjoying his best scoring season, tested United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana with two low shots in the opening 20 minutes, both of which were comfortably handled.
Despite some decent build-up play, clear chances were scarce for either team in the first period. The home crowd witnessed what was perhaps the best opportunity when Antonee Robinson, looking for his tenth assist, set up Raul Jimenez, who fired over from a tight angle.
The second half began without much energy, and goalmouth action remained limited. Bruno Fernandes had a chance when he sent a low free-kick into the side netting, and astonishingly, more than 20 minutes elapsed without either team making a touch in the opposing area, underscoring a lack of offensive creativity.
United had struggled to take the lead in their previous matches, and a wild shot from substitute Adama Traoré suggested the match was heading towards a draw. However, in a surprising turn of events, Lisandro Martinez put United ahead in the 78th minute by intercepting a poor clearance and sending in a deflected shot that hit the crossbar before bouncing in, with Bernd Leno unable to stop it.
Up until that point, that had been United’s only shot on target, yet the away fans erupted in celebration, chanting for manager Ruben Amorim.
As the match neared its conclusion, there was a tense moment as substitute Toby Collyer cleared a header from Joachim Andersen off the line, while Rodrigo Muniz squandered two opportunities to test Onana.
An injury-time goal from Amad Diallo was disallowed, but it did not affect the outcome as United held firm for their fourth win in five matches across all competitions.
This victory improves the mood around Manchester United, lifting Amorim’s side to 12th place in the Premier League standings, now just four points behind Fulham, who remain in the top half at 10th place.
Credit: Tribal Football
