Cunha Rescues Manchester United as Fulham Hold Carrick’s Side to Draw
Matheus Cunha struck in the closing stages as Manchester United escaped with a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
United, who dominated possession and registered 29 attempts on goal, struggled to turn their pressure into clear-cut chances and were punished when Fulham took the lead in the second half.
The hosts moved ahead in the 63rd minute after a chaotic sequence inside the United penalty area ended with Lisandro Martínez putting the ball into his own net.
Fulham had threatened earlier, with Alex Iwobi and Josh King causing problems for United’s defence, while goalkeeper Senne Lammens was called upon several times to keep his side in the contest.
United had produced 17 shots before the interval but only two were on target, with Fulham arguably looking the more dangerous of the two teams.
Rasmus Højlund’s absence was felt in attack as United found it difficult to make their possession count. Marcus Rashford, Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all had opportunities, but Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno remained difficult to beat.
After falling behind, United increased the pressure and finally found their equaliser in the 89th minute.
Cunha collected the ball on the left, cut inside and unleashed a shot that took a decisive deflection off Fulham defender Jordan Amissah before finding the net, leaving Leno with no chance.
The Brazilian’s late strike completed a dramatic recovery and denied Fulham what would have been their first league victory under manager Álvaro Arbeloa.
United continued to search for a winner during stoppage time, but Fulham held firm to secure a point.
The result leaves Manchester United with five points from their opening five league matches, while Fulham remain without a league victory and sit near the bottom of the table.
United manager Michael Carrick will now have to address his side’s slow starts and inability to convert sustained possession into goals as the season continues.
For Fulham, the draw extends a difficult opening run under Arbeloa, although taking points from both Liverpool and Manchester United offers some encouragement ahead of their next fixtures.
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