Manchester United left it late to beat Fulham on the opening day of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
New striker Joshua Zirkzee got here off the bench to seize the all essential objective and make sure the Purple Devils’ league marketing campaign bought off to an ideal begin.
Fulham did not do sufficient to hassle their hosts however will finally be dissatisfied to have misplaced a recreation they have been so near taking a degree from.
How the sport unfolded
Fulham made fist of the opening exchanges and went shut when Kenny Tete made his manner ahead from right-back and looped a shot in direction of the highest nook, just for Andre Onana to thrust up a hand to disclaim him a spectacular opener.
The primary opening United created got here when a unfastened cross from Bernd Leno was intercepted excessive up the pitch, and Casemiro thought shortly to feed in Bruno Fernandes, whose strike was denied by the knee of the Fulham goalkeeper.
That very same mixture got here up with the Purple Devils’ subsequent likelihood with Casemiro once more feeding Fernandes with a swift cross into the penalty space, however once more the United captain was thwarted by Leno from shut vary.
United wished a penalty simply earlier than the break when Harry Maguire went down when difficult Emile Smith Rowe for a bouncing ball by the field, however referee Robert Jones booked the England defender for diving as an alternative.
After the break, United sought to hit their guests on the counter, with Marcus Rashford ghosting his manner into the field and teeing up Mason Mount. As soon as extra, Leno stored Fulham degree.
Fulham have been struggling to make open-play probabilities of their very own however practically discovered the online when a Rodrigo Muniz overhead kick deflected up off the shoulder of Kobbie Mainoo, with Onana scampering throughout his line to push the ball to security.
The key criticism of United final season was how simple they made it for opponents to assault, and they need to have been punished when Lisandro Martinez’s lunge in direction of Muniz missed the ball and left Maguire defending a two-on-one state of affairs. However the midfielder’s cross into Alex Iwobi was terribly skewed and simply cleared.
Martinez’s night time of ups and downs swung again in his favour when he made a significant clearance to cease a low Pereira cross being tapped in on the again put up. Tete got here up with the same interception from an Alejandro Garnacho ball within the reverse space minutes later.
With underneath 5 minutes remaining, United discovered the profitable objective. Debutant Joshua Zirkzee dropped deep and switched play to the flank, the place Garnacho was once more ready to cross, and this time his ball discovered the Dutchman, whose deft contact steered it into the underside nook.
One closing likelihood went United’s manner when Calvin Bassey sliced a clearance and Rashford latched onto the unfastened ball. His cross to Garnacho wasn’t the perfect, however the Argentine ought to have performed higher than to fireplace vast of a near-empty web.
However that did not matter as United’s victory was confirmed seconds later.
GK: Andre Onana – 7/10 – Produced some beautiful saves to maintain United from going behind. Thought shortly along with his distribution to blended outcomes.
RB: Noussair Mazraoui – 6/10 – A conservative debut for the right-back, usually enjoying it secure and holding himself reserved relatively than attempting something too daring.
CB: Harry Maguire – 8/10 – Booked for diving, although his was much less egregious than Amad’s (which by some means went unpunished and was far clearer). The one blemish on what was an in any other case effective recreation, nevertheless, producing a number of enormous headers and interceptions on the again. Substituted late on with a leg harm.
CB: Lisandro Martinez – 6/10 – Skinned by Traore early doorways however made amends quickly after by shrugging the muscular winger to the bottom cleanly. His aggressive type threatened to present Fulham open house within the second half when United went in the hunt for an opener.
LB: Diogo Dalot – 6/10 – United’s Gamers’ Participant of the Yr for 2023/24 confirmed his workforce ethic once more, switching over to left-back and digging in deep to nullify the explosive risk of Traore.
CM: Casemiro – 7/10 – Took a while to get going and his tardiness was nearly the only motive behind Fulham’s spectacular begin, however grew into the sport and rediscovered his imposing physicality of years passed by.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo – 7/10 – As soon as once more the lynchpin within the United workforce when it was totally functioning. Shuffled concerning the midfield profitable possession again and reacting shortly to maneuver it on.
RW: Amad Diallo – 4/10 – Did not win a penalty with a horrible dive within the first half. That was pretty much as good as his night bought, shying away from duty and doing nothing to say his presence.
AM: Mason Mount – 4/10 – Pushed up alongside Fernandes when out of possession. Could not get a grip of the sport in any respect and was understandably withdrawn alongside Amad on the hour mark.
LW: Marcus Rashford – 4/10 – Woefully abject within the first half, although livened up after presumably receiving a rollicking on the break. Like Amad failed to present United a constant risk out vast.
CF: Bruno Fernandes – 6/10 – On one other day would have buried one among his possibilities. Way more snug when dropped again into his typical midfield function.
Substitutes
SUB: Joshua Zirkzee (60′ for Mount) – 8/10 – What a solution to announce your self to Outdated Trafford. A effective end worthy of a United striker.
SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (60′ for Amad) – 7/10 – Took duty when he got here on, which is what United have been missing in vast areas.
SUB: Matthijs de Ligt (81′ for Mazraoui) – 6/10
SUB: Jonny Evans (81′ for Maguire) – 6/10
SUB: Scott McTominay (84′ for Mainoo) – 6/10
Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Christian Eriksen, Toby Collyer, Antony
Supervisor
Erik ten Hag – 7/10 – United appeared a lot improved on the ball however nonetheless want work to do defensively.
GK: Bernd Leno – 7/10 – Did all he may to attempt to preserve the clear sheet, however was undone by a bit of brilliance from Zirkzee.
RB: Kenny Tete – 7/10 – Shut down Rashford fantastically and his efficiency too was not deserving of defeat.
CB: Issa Diop – 6/10 – Exemplary for essentially the most half and shall be fuming at not strolling away with the win.
CB: Calvin Bassey – 4/10 – Very clunky along with his tackling and motion. Lucky to not have gifted United a late second objective.
LB: Antonee Robinson – 5/10 – Wished to play the match at 100 miles an hour, which most of the time threatened to value Fulham defensively than profit them going the opposite manner.
CM: Sasa Lukic – 6/10 – Did his greatest to make up for the tackling shortfall left by Joao Palhinha’s departure.
CM: Andreas Pereira – 4/10 – Made little distinction on his return to Outdated Trafford. Ought to have set Iwobi racing clear halfway by the second half and by some means ballsed up the cross.
RW: Adama Traore – 4/10 – Pay attention, should you have been as proficient and distinctive as Adama Traore, you too would attempt to dribble your manner out of each state of affairs. However generally you have to cross the ball, you realize? Do not make me get that clip from Objective! the place Santi Munez learns the ball travels sooner than he does.
AM: Emile Smith Rowe – 6/10 – Confirmed glimpses of his actual potential on his Fulham debut, however solely glimpses. Typically responsible of considering too shortly when his facet have been attempting to gradual the sport down.
LW: Alex Iwobi – 5/10 – Typically Iwobi’s imaginative and prescient was far better than his execution, recognizing runs in behind however not sufficient selecting out the precise cross.
CF: Rodrigo Muniz – 6/10 – A correct handful for Maguire and Martinez to take care of, taking the complete would possibly of the previous in an effort to tame him.
Substitutes
SUB: Tom Cairney (64′ for Smith Rowe) – 5/10
SUB: Raul Jimenez (78′ for Muniz) – 5/10
SUB: Harry Wilson (78′ for Traore) – 5/10
SUB: Harrison Reed (90′ for Lukic) – N/A
SUB: Jay Stansfield (90′ for Pereira) – N/A
Subs not used: Steven Benda (GK), Timothy Castagne, Jorge Cuenca, Joshua King
Supervisor
Marco Silva – 5/10 – Fulham could not fairly pose sufficient of a direct risk to United, who did at instances attempt to open the match up for his or her guests.
