Match Report
Fulham (0) 0-1 (0) Manchester United
Premier League Match Day 11 23/24 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 4th November 2023 KO: 12:30
Referee:
John Brooks (Leicestershire)
Live on TNT Sports 1
|
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Man Utd |
| Goals |
(0)0 |
1 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
- |
Fernandes 91 |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
18 |
12 |
| On target |
2 |
5 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
11% |
42% |
| Possession |
45% |
55% |
| Passes |
360 |
450 |
-->
| Passes Success |
72% |
79% |
| Crosses |
19 |
13 |
| Crosses Success |
21% |
23% |
| Corners |
9 |
4 |
| Tackles |
13 |
13 |
| Tackles Success |
69% |
69% |
| Saves |
4 |
2 |
| Fouls |
9 |
15 |
| Offsides |
1 |
2 |
| Yellows |
6 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
Fulham suffered an absolute gut punch at the Cottage on Saturday, as Bruno Fernandes struck at the death to earn Manchester United a smash and grab win.
There was little to write home about in the first half, but the Whites created some good openings after the break, with Andre Onana denying Harry Wilson and João Palhinha.
Those missed chances ended up proving crucial, though, with the Reds captain nicking all three points in stoppage time.
There were three changes to the XI that started the draw in Brighton six days earlier, with the trio who made the difference from the bench at the Amex –Wilson, Andreas Pereira and Rodrigo Muniz – given the nod from the off. It marked a first ever Premier League start for Muniz.
United thought they’d opened the scoring with the game’s first attack. Christian Eriksen clipped a free-kick to the back post to Alejandro Garnacho, who put it across the face for a simple finish for McTominay, but Harry Maguire was in an offside position and VAR duly ruled it out.
Fulham responded with a blocked Willian shot either side of a barnstorming run down the wing from Antonee Robinson, who saw his cross taken off the head of Muniz.
A brilliant Willian cross then looked set to pick out the run of Wilson, but Diogo Dalot made a sensational block to deny the Welshman.
The first save of the game wasn’t necessitated until the 33rd minute, when Bernd Leno comfortably dived to catch Fernandes’ curler.
Alex Iwobi was then given the freedom of Craven Cottage following a turnover of possession, but he fired off target from the edge of the box having gobbled up about 60 yards of turf with the ball.
The Whites were ending the half strongly, with Willian getting the crowd upstanding when he worked a yard of space before curling narrowly the wrong side of the post.
Leno was worked more in the opening six minutes of the second half than he was during the entirety of the first, but twice he was equal to efforts from Garnacho.
There was a better tempo since the restart, with both sides showing more attacking intent – Willian was next to try his luck but swung wide from 20 yards.
As we passed the hour mark, Wilson went as close as anyone when his spinning volley was palmed away from the top corner by Onana.
And the visiting goalkeeper was at it again moments later, making himself big to beat away Palhinha’s close range strike.
The Whites were enjoying our best spell of the game, with Muniz next going close as he headed Andreas’ corner marginally over.
The game was poised for someone to be a hero, and Fernandes came close to nestling a free-kick into the corner, but for the intervention of Leno, before substitute Anthony Martial’s acrobatic effort dropped wide of the far post.
But Fernandes did have his moment, and it came out of absolutely nothing as United snatched the win in stoppage time. Fulham seemed to have things under control at the back, but a couple of failed attempted clearances eventually saw the ball drop to Fernandes, who managed to squeeze it home from the edge of the box.
Fulham : Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson, Iwobi (Jimenez 89), Palhinha, Wilson (Cairney 90), Pereira (De Cordova-Reid 81), Willian (Lukic 76), Muniz (Vinicius 76)
Unused substitutes: Rodak, Reed, Ballo-Toure, De Fougerolles
Booked: Robinson (31,f), Palhinha (66,f), Pereira (66,dis), Iwobi (82,f), Wilson (85,f), Jimenez (97,dis)
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Evans, Dalot, McTominay, Eriksen (Mount 79), Antony (Pellistri 63), Fernandes, Garnacho (Varane 93), Hojlund (Martial 79)
Unused substitutes: Bayindir, Amrabat, Reguilon, Mainoo, Mejbri
Goals:
Fernandes 90+1(Fulham fail to clear their lines not once, not twice and not three times. Palhinha and Ream have a go. The ball ends up with Fernandes on the edge of the penalty area. He cuts onto his right foot and finds the bottom corner with a low strike.)
Booked: Garnacho (67,f), Dalot (88,f)
Referee:
John Brooks (Leicestershire)
Attendance: 24,415