Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham in a lackluster Premier League clash at Craven Cottage, thanks to Lisandro Martinez’s fortunate strike. The game was devoid of quality, but Martinez’s shot from 30 yards took a deflection off Sasa Lukic and looped over Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal.
Ruben Amorim’s men had only one shot on target throughout the game and struggled to pose a real threat to their opponents. However, Amad Diallo had a late goal disallowed for offside after initially being awarded on the pitch but overturned by VAR.
Fulham, on the other hand, failed to create many opportunities until Joachim Andersen’s powerful header was cleared off the line by substitute Toby Collyer in the closing stages.
In a forgettable first half, United managed just one effort on goal, while Fulham’s only notable chances came from Alex Iwobi’s attempts. Bruno Fernandes also missed a low free-kick into the side-netting in the second half, as the game followed a similar pattern.
However, Martinez’s long-range attempt took a cruel deflection off Lukic and looped over Leno, giving United the lead. Fulham thought they had equalized when Collyer cleared Andersen’s flicked header off the line brilliantly.
Deep into injury time, Diallo thought he had doubled United’s lead with a low drive into the bottom-right corner, but it was ruled out for offside.
Martinez’s goal was significant as it marked his third Premier League goal for United, all of which have come away from Old Trafford. The Red Devils have scored 68% of their Premier League goals this season in the second half, with only Leicester City having a higher ratio of 72%.
Despite their inconsistent season, United is among the four teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, and Newcastle United, that have not suffered defeat when going 1-0 up in the Premier League this season.
Furthermore, United has now won their last eight Premier League away games against Fulham. Their overall record in London has been less impressive, with only three victories in their last 20 league matches (D5 L12), all of which were achieved at Craven Cottage (2-1 in November 2022 & 1-0 in November 2023).
In conclusion, Manchester United secured a narrow victory over Fulham, with Martinez’s fortuitous strike proving to be the difference. Despite the lack of quality in the game, United managed to claim all three points and continue their impressive away record against Fulham.
