The first signs of spring were met with a sudden blast of winter at Old Trafford, and the green shoots of Manchester United’s recovery were trampled underfoot by an effervescent Fulham.
Erik ten Hag’s side were on a run of six wins and a draw from seven games in 2024, but it was brought to a halt by Fulham’s first win in the Premier League here in 17 attempts going back 21 years to 2003. This was also the Londoners’ first away win in the league since the opening day of the season after Alex Iwobi fired a dramatic winner in the seventh minute of injury-time.
Ten Hag said before this game that the injuries this week to top scorer Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw wouldn’t blunt United’s attacking threat, but who was he kidding?
A team that had scored 17 goals in those seven games this year went back to being one that averaged one goal per game in the previous 18.
The injuries that have returned to blight United’s season – Lisandro Martinez is another recent casualty who has joined Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines – are in danger of wrecking their hopes of Champions League qualification and casting Ten Hag into very dangerous waters at the end of the season.
Alex Iwobi scored a 97th-minute winner to give Fulham a shock 2-1 win away at Old Trafford
Harry Maguire thought he had salvaged a point when he equalised in the 89th minute
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was less than upbeat when discussing the Dutchman’s future after his £1.3billion investment was completed this week, and a top-four finish could be the dividing line. Ratcliffe wasn’t here but Sir Dave Brailsford was, and he will not have been impressed by what he saw. He won’t need reminding that the next league game is away to Manchester City next weekend.
Ten Hag’s team selection certainly caused a stir. With Marcus Rashford switching to striker to fill in for Hojlund, the United boss turned to teenager Omari Forson rather than £86million man Antony to play on the right.
Handing Forson his full debut was a huge vote of confidence in a youngster who had played just seven minutes of football across three appearances off the bench this season, which included an assist in Kobbie Mainoo’s late winner at Wolves.
But it was also a big snub for Antony on his 24th birthday and a reflection of the fact the Brazil winger hadn’t contributed a goal or assist in 19 league games this season.
‘He (Forson) deserves the position,’ said Ten Hag. ‘Lately, he’s performing very well. Over the last half year he’s worked very hard and showed his progression.
‘When he came on against Wolves and Newport he had some impact. For instance, with the goal for Kobbie Mainoo, he had the link-up and good run behind. That’s what we expect from him. He showed reliability and now he gets his chance, so he has to take his chance.’
United struggled to find their flow in a first half that saw Fulham threaten to catch them on the break time and again.
It almost happened in the 14th minute when in-form striker Rodrigo Muniz rose above Raphael Varane to nod down a long ball forward, and suddenly Iwobi was through on goal.
Calvin Bassey had given Marco Silva’s side a surprise lead after 65 minutes before Maguire levelled
Maguire was lucky to stay on after a clumsy foul on Sasa Lukic, for which he was booked
However, the former Arsenal and Everton winger lacked composure and scuffed wide of the post before hitting the exact same spot when Andreas Pereira slid a pass into his path four minutes later as United were opened up again.
When Fulham broke from a United corner after Sasa Lukic dinked the ball over a limp challenge from Rashford, it led to a corner at the other end and almost a goal. Andre Onana parried when Muniz got there first again, and Lukic would have scored if his first touch hadn’t been so heavy.
United’s first real chance of note didn’t arrive until the 27th minute when Fulham failed to deal with a free kick for Tosin Adarabioyo’s foul on the increasingly lively Garnacho.
The young Argentina winger worked the space for a shot that was going in until Antonee Robinson produced a great clearance header, and the loose ball eventually fell for Harry Maguire who bundled it over.
The pace of the game was picking up now as the two teams traded blows. Diogo Dalot clipped the outside of the post from 20 yards and Muniz did the same at the other end when he turned Victor Lindelof to crack a shot against the upright. Onana tipped away Pereira’s curler after Fulham broke again following Casemiro’s error, and Bernd Leno tipped away Garnacho’s curler.
Maguire was lucky that his challenge on Lukic wasn’t a little higher up the Serbian’s shin in the 36th minute. It was more clumsy than malicious, but the yellow card could easily have been red.
Iwobi and Pereira were booked as Garnacho continued to torment them, and Harry Wilson became the fourth Fulham player to be cautioned for fouling United’s No.17.
Ten Hag waiting until eight minutes into the second half to make changes. One was forced after Casemiro clashed heads with Harrison Reed and made way for Scott McTominay. The other was tactical as Christian Eriksen came on for Forson, who had a quiet debut.
United were on a run of six wins and a draw in 2024 but Fulham gave them food for thought
But it was Fulham who almost made the breakthrough in the 57th minute when Dalot was muscled off the ball Muniz on halfway and Fulham swept forward on the break again. Iwobi fed Robinson on the overlap and Lindelof did just enough to stop Pereira from turning in a low cross from close range.
The travelling Fulham fans didn’t have to wait much longer for a goal, though, after Oana was forced to tip over from Reed’s cross that almost drifted in after 64 minutes. Pereira swung over a corner from the right and Calvin Bassey’s first-time effort was straight at teammate Timothy Castagne. The loose ball sat up for the Nigeria defender, however, and he smashed it into the roof of the net. It had been coming to be fair.
United were roused from their post-interval slumber. Rashford went close and Maguire planted a header wide from Eriksen’s corner. Ten Hag sent on Amad Diallo for Kobbie Mainoo, again ignoring Antony.
An equaliser arrived in the 89th minute when Maguire tried to cross from the right and over-hit it. Fernandes retrieved the ball and teased Castagne before firing in a shot. Leno could only parry it and Maguire converted from close range.
Game on, and at that stage you would have fancied United to win it after referee Michael Oliver added on nine minutes of injury-time.
But in the seventh of those minutes, Fulham snatched victory. The move started on their own dead ball line as Adarabioyo cleared upfield. It fell to substitute Adam Traore and the powerful winger set off towards goal. The United defence retreated as he slipped the ball to Iwobi who cut inside Dalot and Diallo to bury his shot from 15 yards.
This time there was no way back for Ten Hag’s side. Many more slips like this one and the same will have to be said for their hopes of Champions League qualification.
