- Manchester United’s Premier League winning streak of four games has come to an end as they lost 2-1 to Fulham on Saturday at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s Premier League winning streak of four games has come to an end as they lost 2-1 to Fulham on Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils had been hoping for a new start when Jim Ratcliffe’s minority ownership in United was completed this week and they had been playing well.
After defeating Villa 2-1, United, who had won their previous four Premier League games, lost all chance of making it into the Champions League for the next season. Now, they are eight points behind Villa.
Ratcliffe declared his intention to unseat Liverpool and Manchester City in the English Premier League in three years.
How the match unfolded
Omari Forson got his first start for United. Photo/ United in Focus
Both teams had a cagey opening to the match, but Fulham appeared to be the more lively of the two when they had the ball, moving it through the lines quickly. Former Red Devils player Andreas Pereira tried his luck with the visitors’ first shot on goal, which Andre Onana easily saved, just three minutes in.
Soon after the half-hour mark, Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham attempted a long-range header, but Man United’s No. 24 made a vital one-handed stop to block it. Lukic then failed to head home the rebound.
Even though the Red Devils had plenty of possession, they were unable to generate any clear-cut opportunities until the Fulham defense mishandled a set-piece in the 26th minute, which allowed Alejandro Garnacho to pounce and curl a shot from inside the box. But Maguire, staying forward, hooked the rebound over the crossbar after Antonee Robinson recovered superbly to head the ball off the line.
The tightly contested match became longer as the first half neared its conclusion; Onana produced a superb save at full stretch to stop Pereira’s curling effort after Lukic caught Casemiro in control during the counterattack. Leno delivered an almost replica of his first save at the opposite end after throwing himself into a one-handed save to block Garnacho’s curler that was destined for the bottom corner.
In the 56th minute, Fulham had their first real chance of the second half when Muniz beat Eriksen on the halfway line and drove forward, setting up Robinson to play a dangerous delivery across the six-yard box that begged to be tapped in, but Wilson was unable to meet the cross. Robinson chose not to shoot from a tight angle.
At the 65-minute mark, Fulham took a well-earned lead thanks to a goal from Bassey, who scored with his weaker right foot into the top of the net.
Man United got back on track as Fernandes threaded his way into a shooting position on the outskirts of the box, but Leno easily gathered his attempt to his left. The Fulham goalkeeper then stopped Rashford’s appealing throw from an acute angle on the left flank with his fingers.
Shortly after, Maguire rose above the Fulham defense to meet Eriksen’s corner, but from only a few yards away, he was only able to thud his header over the bar, costing Man United maybe their finest opportunity of the game.
Alex Iwobi celebrates the winner. Photo/ Eurosport
But in the 89th minute, Maguire made up for his earlier miss, and Old Trafford exploded as the defender restored parity with a first-time finish from inside the six-yard box. Leno had only managed to deflect Fernandes’s effort straight to the Red Devils No. 5 instead.
The nine minutes of added time put Fulham’s backs against the wall as Man United pushed for a winner. However, out of nowhere, they broke through through substitute Adama Traore, who dashed past a few players on the right before finding Iwobi, who took a touch to set his shot that nestled into the bottom corner, igniting riots among the Fulham supporters.
Man United will concentrate on their FA Cup fifth-round match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Wednesday, while Fulham will want to build on their success at Old Trafford when they visit Brighton & Hove Albion the following Saturday.
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