London, November 4, 2023 – Manchester United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, emerged as the hero by scoring the winning goal in injury time against Fulham, relieving the pressure on Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United was on the verge of another game without a victory or a goal when Fernandes fired a low shot past Bernd Leno from outside the penalty area following a poor clearance by the opposition.
In a disappointing match with few opportunities, Scott McTominay initially thought he had given the away team the lead in the eighth minute, but his goal was disallowed for offside after referee John Brooks reviewed it on the pitchside monitor.
Before netting the winning goal, Fernandes had forced Leno into an acrobatic save, while Andre Onana also made two crucial saves to deny attempts from Harry Wilson and Joao Palhinha.
Until the dramatic conclusion, Manchester United struggled to create chances, and their injury concerns continued as Marcus Rashford failed a fitness test before the match due to a leg injury.
Rashford had previously been criticized by Ten Hag ahead of the game, with the United manager describing the England forward’s birthday celebrations after last week’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City as “unacceptable.”
Despite suffering a head injury early in the match, Harry Maguire played the entire game, and the match was temporarily halted on several occasions to check on the defender’s condition.
‘Play with All Your Heart’
Manchester United supporters made their expectations clear when they unfurled a banner reading ‘Play with All Your Heart’ before the match, expressing their desire to see more passion from their team.
After a disappointing season, Ten Hag will take any positives he can get at this point and hope that this result will serve as a starting point for better performances.
Before Fernandes’ third club goal of the season, which came in the first added minute at the end of the game, Manchester United looked lackluster and unconvincing as they struggled to threaten opponents in the lower half of the table.
Ten Hag has invested over £400 million in new signings since being appointed as the coach 18 months ago, including £72 million for Rasmus Hojlund, who is yet to score a Premier League goal.
Despite their various issues, Manchester United has now won three consecutive away games in the Premier League for the first time since 2020.
Fulham’s Long Wait Continues
Fulham has not defeated Manchester United since 2009, and their long wait continues after conceding a late winner at home to the Red Devils for the second consecutive season.
Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva, had challenged his players to “write a different story” after they lost to a 93rd-minute goal by Garnacho last November.
However, they managed only two attempts on target and remain stuck in the bottom half of the table after winning just one of their last six league games.zzzzzzzzzzzz
Willian came close with a curling attempt before Onana made saves to deny Wilson and Palhinha during the home team’s best spell in the game.
Fulham fans used the match to voice their concerns about the affordability of match tickets at the stadium.
Before the game, fans staged a demonstration outside Craven Cottage with a banner that read ‘We Can’t Afford to Price Out Fans,’ and there was also a yellow card protest during the game.
