Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, 20 September, in the Premier League. A late goal from Matheus Cunha salvaged a point for the Red Devils after a Lisandro Martinez own goal had given the Cottagers the lead.
Michael Carrick opted to rotate his squad for the midweek 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup third round. However, the English manager reverted to his strongest XI for Sunday’s Premier League game.
Carrick made just one change to the team that lost 1-0 to Manchester City last weekend at Old Trafford. Luke Shaw returned to the starting XI in place of Patrick Dorgu, who was named among the substitutes.
The English full-back started alongside Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire and Martinez in defence, with Senne Lammens in goal. The midfield consisted of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans, while Bruno Fernandes retained his place in the No. 10 role.
The frontline consisted of Marcus Rashford, Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha, with Benjamin Sesko missing the trip to London with a knock. Among the substitutes was Carlos Baleba, who was yet to make his first team debut after arriving at the Theatre of Dreams this summer.
United held at Craven Cottage
Fulham looked the brighter team at the beginning of the game and regularly threatened to score. Lammens made a couple of good saves, while United hit the post twice in the first half.
The first half ended 0-0 and Carrick opted against making any changes at the break. However, Fulham took the lead in the 63rd minute when Martinez sent the ball into the back of his own net.
The Red Devils threw the kitchen sink at the home side after going behind but struggled to break a resolute Fulham side. Their efforts finally bore fruit in the 89th minute, when Cunha’s shot was deflect into the back of the net.
While the team endured another disappointing run this season, Rashford’s failure to impress once again will be a cause for concern for supporters.
Rashford’s struggles fail to end
Rashford had displayed sporadic bursts of brilliance since returning from his loan spell with Barcelona over the summer. The Englishman, however, was yet to register a goal or an assist this season, and his struggles showed no end at Craven Cottage.
Rashford had 56 touches of the ball during his 77 minutes on the pitch, attempting 35 passes with an 89% passing accuracy. The Englishman, however, registered four key passes and three crosses, one of which was accurate.
The 28 year old was involved in seven duels, winning five of them, and registered two clearances. However, he also gave the ball away 11 times.
Rashford had two shots on target and attempted two dribbles, one of which was successful. Unfortunately, the Englishman failed to have an impact and was replaced by Joshua Zirkzee.
Marcus Rashford: Stats vs Fulham
| Stat | Marcus Rashford |
|---|---|
| Touches | 56 |
| Accurate passes | 31/35 (89%) |
| Key passes | 4 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 3 (1) |
| Long balls (accurate) | - |
| Duels (won) | 7 (5) |
| Ground duels (won) | 5 (3) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 2 (2) |
| Possession lost | 11 |
| Fouls | - |
| Was fouled | 2 |
| Offsides | - |
| Defensive actions | 2 |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Blocked shots | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Tackles (won) | 0 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.39 |
| Shots off target | 2 |
| Shots blocked | 2 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 2 (1) |
| Notes | Big chances missed: 1 |
Source: Sofascore.
Final Thoughts
United have now won just one of their five games in the Premier League this season. The Red Devils have climbed up to 12th in the league table after Sunday’s draw, but alarm bells will be ringing at Old Trafford already.
Featured image by Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
