Fulham vs Man Utd: Can Man Utd change their fate today?

The week has been difficult for Manchester United with three defeats in a row (Manchester city 3-0 and Newcastle United 3-0). However, manager Erik ten Hag has remained resilient despite the challenges faced by the team with eleven defeats. This may have also boosted the team’s moral as they secured nine out of fifteen points away from home, which could become crucial in motivating them for future game.

However, Fulham performed well during this period, earning a deserved draw against Brighton and reaching the Quarter Finals of the English Football League (EFL) Cup for the first time since the 2004-05 season following their victory against Ipswich Town. It has therefore been a fair enough run for Fulham who have stayed clear on seven points from the relegation trap in their second straight season in the premier league finishing on position 14.

Let’s checkout the match highlights today:

First-half begins!!

• An early problem in the game for United might come up in the first minute itself. Maguire has surprisingly sent the ball out-of-bounds with no visible pressure and then has squatted, which may be a sign of worry.
• It will be an interesting feat for Utd to prove that they will thrive even without Rashford, who we know they have managed well within the past. In fact, since the beginning of the current 2021-22 season, having no Rashford, their winning record in the premier league has been 10 wins out of 16 with a corresponding average of 2.1 points/game. This shows there is the difference at hand as compared to 48.6%-win rate (34 wins out of 70 matches) and 1.6 points, on average when the player was used in the starting line.
• United goal in the 8th minute. The visitors go ahead, McTominay. He took a long free-kick towards the far post, which Garmacho cleverly redirected across goal. At the corner, McTominay alert and ready and quickly tapped the ball into goalline, making it one all for united. It is at this point that they were waiting for, though the crowd is momentarily paused as a VAR review begins on whether they could have been offside.
• The goal has been disallowed in the 12th minute! After the VAR review, it was discovered that McTominay had his effort annulled because of Maguire’s offside influence. This is indeed a major respite for Fulham. This, however, leave us to see more how united react to this let down if they still hold steadfast to make another goal attempt.
• At this point Antony is already in control losing ball carelessly and the opposition capitalizes on it with many players coming in waves. United’s defense is strong to avoid any danger even when Dalot heads Robinson’s cross that was meant to get to the back post thus avoiding a chance of scoring by the opponents through the way out.
• United is renowned for being invincible in its last six Premier league away matches in the 26th minute. Their current streak of seven games is the best they have ever had against any opposing team outside their homes with the exception of an earlier eight game winning run at West Bromwich Albion that lasted between the period of 1984-2011 as per their leagues’ United’s traditional mastery over some of these away fixtures is demonstrated here.
• Robinson’s hard tackle directed at Antony, gets him booked for the first yellow card, in the 31st minute of the game. The referee’s warning to Robinson denotes a reminder that this player should be careful for the rest of game time.
• With just about ten minutes left in the first half here at Craven Cottage, it is goalless. The tally stands at a paltry 0.35 from an offensive standpoint for the two teams so far. This shows each team has yet to take advantage of any real scoring chances.
• For example, he was among the most booked defenders for the whole preceding season from the 42nd minute. This means he is 3rd after Nelson Semedo (16 yellows) and Aaron Hickey (12 yellows).
• The first half has been increased with an extra five minutes in the 45+2 minute due to the time consumed by the VAR rule’s verdict against McTominay’s disallowed goal. The stoppage time enables each side just a few last chances of scoring before the first minute has passed by.

Second-half begins!!

• At the 50th minute, after Wilson was fouled by Garnacho, Pereira comes in taking in his shot towards the Man Utd’s box. however, the cross has very little power making it easy for Maguire to jump up and head the ball past O’Leary. However, Pereira will once again be playing against his old team, where his set-piece skills are extremely famous; nonetheless, his kicks in this game do not even approach an average level of their normal quality.
• There’s a risky moment for United as Eriksen’s mistake in possession becomes an opening for a Fulham counter-attack (the 57th). Fulham keeps pressing, and it looks like United’s defense is not well-coordinated. Grabbing the opportunity, Wilson finds Willian at his left and attempts to finish off the play by giving the ball to Willian on the cut back only for Maguire and Wan Bisska to deny him. However, it was an escaping lucky passage for Erik ten Hag’s team from a danger zone.
• He makes a fantastic save on the 61st minute as he denies an opponent from scoring. A great save by onana after a strong shot attempt from wilson who had been looking for an opportunity to score a goal inside the 18-yard box but outside the penalty area. Afterwards, in quick succession, Willian makes a pinpoint ball release for a superb strike by Palhinha. Onana proves vital once more with an important save that diverts the ball for a corner. At present, Fulham has been dominant and is applying a lot of pressure onto its opponents.
• The 66th minute has incurred a yellow card for João Palhinna; whose full name is João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalvinho. Palhinha will need to be extra careful over the rest of the match as this booking may attract a further discipline by the referee.
• Due to disputes with the referee’s decision of issuing a red card to palhinha, pereira was cautioned and shown a yellow card for dissent. This shows that they have broken the code of conduct since the rules stipulate that the players should not protest the referees’ decision. This means that pereira will have to tread very cautious during the rest of the game so as not to incur any more cautionary and even red card.
• He is in the books for a foul, coming up two minutes before full time as he went late with a sliding challenge on Wilson, 67′. The referee gave him a caution because his timing of the tackle was wrong. His play will therefore need to be careful so that he does not further provoke more severe acts of discipline.
• In the 71st minute, Pellistri, who is substituted during the game, is searching for a chance. He makes a way around Robinsons and releases a shot. Nevertheless, it is not a very strong shot that is easily saved by Leno on the left side.
• However, in the 76th minute, Rodrigo looks devastated after being taken off the field by Vinicius, possibly because of his injuries. This evokes sympathy and it could be hoped that this was not as bad as his looks indicate, at least not for him and his career.
• During the 78th minute, United chose to use a straightforward corner move, which saw the ball end up on the foot of Dalot and then towards a goal. However, unlike others from previous attempts, he sent the ball very far off his target in this instance. Though the shots were in his capacity, Dalot could not show it on that case.
• It is in the eighty-first minute when Silva makes his substitution putting in De Cordova-Reid for Pereira. these may seem surprising in light of the way Pereira played in the match; he provided six chances for goals that is four more than anybody else in the ground. This means that Silva seems to change approaches and/or try new tricks on the pitch.
• At the 82nd minute referee has shown yellow card to Iwobi due to his cynical foul against Garnacho. For this purposeful foul to cause play disruption, he has received a cautioning yellow card.
• The fifth Fulham footballer gets booked in the 85th minute and is named Wilson, who trips on Garnacho. As such, Fulham’s players must be careful on their cautions mounting.
• The 89th minute has seen Wilson’s efforts in a dead-ball situation going disappointingly over the crossbar. Since it is widely known that he excels in the set piece, this execution will definitely disappoint the player and this will not meet the expected standards.
• The sad story is that, Wilson’s dead ball effort is way over the crossbar. He will certainly be unhappy about such a bad performance and he deserves much better since this is his strong spot – set pieces.
• It is a goal for United in the 90th+minute. Fernandes takes a one-nil lead for the team! The opportunity arose after a very expensive mistake of palhinha in a dangerous area. At first, Fernandes tried to play McTominay but the ball rebounded it to Pellistri and then to Fernandes. It is one nil for the visitor’s courtesy of a beautiful strike by Fernandes who showed great composure in deceiving Lukic with a feint before choosing his spot accurately. It is such a vital objective and it could be the turning point of that particular match.
• Ten Hag has substituted Varane in for Garnacho in the 90+3 minutes towards the end of this game. United’s resoluteness will be tested by these last five minutes since with the extra time, United is going to try preserving its lead so that it does not lose the match. This additional defensive boost hints at a plan of holding out against any later push by the enemy.
• As time runs out in extra 90+5 minutes, it does not favor Fulham as they seek to put the ball at positions able to beat Man U’s defence line. Regrettably, their efforts to score the goal for an equalizer that could have made them win may run out of time.
• During the 90+7 minute, Raúl Alonso Jiménez Rodríguez was booked after receiving a yellow card from the referee. The offender will therefore have to tread cautiously for the rest of the game so as not to receive more sanctions.

And that’s it! It’s full-time. The win has finally put an end to Man Utd’s misery of losing three matches. What a match it was! I hope your guys enjoyed today’s game. Stay tuned!