Matheus Cunha’s last‑minute, deflected strike in the 89th minute rescued a point for Manchester United, turning what looked like a looming disaster into a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage. The Brazilian’s goal came after a chaotic sequence that saw United’s defence under intense pressure and highlighted the deepening concerns surrounding Michael Carrick’s side as they head into the international break. The match took a dramatic turn when Lisandro Martínez inadvertently scored an own goal with just 23 minutes remaining. The mishap followed a disastrous run of form that included a humiliating Carabao Cup loss to Brighton at home and a defeat in the Manchester derby the previous weekend.
The own goal, which resulted from a series of mis‑communications and sloppy defending, amplified the urgency for United to find a lifeline. It was a clever flick from David Affengruber that ultimately set the stage for the equaliser. Fulham centre‑back Calvin Bassey lunged at Cunha’s attempt, the ball ricocheting off his boot before being parried by Fulham keeper Senne Lammens. Martínez, scrambling to recover, stuck a boot out and redirected the ball past Lammens, who was left flailing as the ball crossed the line.
The chaotic defence and the goalkeeper’s clumsy attempt to clear the ball summed up United’s fraught performance throughout the night. Despite the point, United remain entrenched in the bottom half of the Premier League table after five matches, sitting ten points behind league leaders Manchester City.
Their tally of five points matches the club’s joint‑worst start to a Premier League season, a low only previously seen in the 2014‑15 campaign. The situation has prompted pundits such as Sky Sports’ Gary Neville to label the display a "real mess" and to criticize the team’s passive possession in the opening 15 minutes, which he described as "the worst 15 minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play." The match could have swung in United’s favour on several occasions. In the first half, Bruno Fernandes found himself in a promising position after a well‑timed cut‑back from Cunha, only to see his effort crash against the far post. Later, a heavily deflected shot from Cunha clipped the woodwork instead of finding the net.
Fulham’s goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, also made a series of impressive saves, stretching fully to deny United’s attackers on multiple occasions. When the final whistle blew, the Fulham keeper could do nothing to prevent the leveller. The goal was a bitter pill for United’s interim manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who is still hunting for his inaugural Premier League victory.
Nevertheless, Arbeloa can take some solace from the performance, especially after United’s recent draw at Anfield, which helped them climb out of the bottom spot on goal difference. For United, the accumulation of lacklustre displays has set off alarm bells in Manchester.
Although they escaped with a point, the club must use the upcoming three‑week international break to overhaul tactics, restore confidence, and re‑ignite the ambition of challenging for higher honours this season. Cunha’s post‑match comments to Sky Sports reflected the frustration felt across the squad: "It is so frustrating for us. In the beginning, we put the plan in and created some chances.
We didn't score and then they scored in one action. It is hard to explain.
After the goal, we played much better and had a lot of character. It needs to be from the start. It is only one point but we should never play for one point.
They put in more energy than us, we cannot accept this. We need to do our best. We need to improve in every single position. It is only the beginning.
Last season was the same, with noise around, but we finished third." Carrick, speaking to Sky Sports, echoed a similar sentiment: "I thought we should've won the game, we created enough to win the game. We had a lot of good play and the goal we did concede, it is one of those goals. I really liked the reaction and how we finished the game.
It would be easy for it to go in another direction. We nearly won it at the end.
We came to get the win; of course we did, but the way we finished the game is the positive we take from it. Their goalkeeper, the saves he has made, he was player of the match and we hit the post twice. A lot of it was good.
There are things to take from it, for sure." Fulham’s manager Álvaro Arbeloa also voiced his disappointment, claiming the match was marred by questionable refereeing decisions and unlucky moments: "We were so close. So, so close. We were a little bit unlucky again.
We knew it would be difficult against this big team. Also we knew what happened last week.
We have seen what the referees have been doing in all the matches so it was a difficult game. And we were unlucky.
All fouls for them. You can see before they scored, the foul against Maguire, it's a guy who is 100 kilos. Every decision was for them and I knew after the game against Man City that they would not let Manchester United lose here. We deserved a little bit more." Arbeloa later softened his remarks, acknowledging the need for restraint when commenting on officiating: "My English is not so good.
Maybe I explain myself so badly and I prefer not to say anything about the referees because you never know. When you say something that you don't have to say, it's better to stay calm, focus on the performance of my team and focus on the next game. I'm not really happy. Like I said, I need to be focused and put my energy in all the things that I have to improve.
[Maguire] is a very big guy and maybe it wasn't a foul. But it's ok. Like I said, I prefer to analyse the game – players, systems and it's the best for win.
You know when you draw a game like that, maybe you're a little bit frustrated." Key moments from the match included: - 10' – Martinez’s long‑range effort from just outside the box was tipped onto the cross‑bar by Leno. - 25' – Cunha maneuvered past Affengruber and cut the ball back, only for Fernandes to smash his shot against the far post. - 28' – Lammens saved a close‑range volley from Josh King after Alex Iwobi’s cross. - 31' – Gonzalo García missed a volley, Sander Berge’s follow‑up was saved, and Oscar Bobb’s shot went wide.
- 31' – A heavy deflection saw Cunha’s attempt loop over Leno, strike the far post, rebound off the keeper and result in a corner. - 63' – Bassey over‑powered Cunha, his shot was parried by Lammens and then bundled back past him by Martínez for an own goal.
- 86' – United appealed for a penalty after a potential handball by Bassey, but the referee ruled the incident as accidental. - 89' – Cunha’s deflected strike finally broke the deadlock, securing the equaliser.
The draw leaves United in a precarious position, but it also offers a glimmer of hope that the team can still turn the tide if they address their defensive frailties, improve possession discipline, and find a reliable source of goals. The upcoming break will be crucial for regrouping and re‑strategising, with the aim of converting narrow draws into full‑time victories once the season resumes.