Matheus Cunha struck late to rescue Manchester United from defeat as the Red Devils battled to a 1-1 Premier League draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Brazilian’s deflected equalizer extended Manchester United’s unbeaten run at the ground to 11 matches and denied Fulham what would have been their first Premier League victory under Álvaro Arbeloa.
For football fans in Tanzania following the Premier League, the entertaining encounter delivered plenty of drama, with both sides creating chances before the decisive late twist.
Manchester United Start Brightly
Both teams entered the contest seeking a result to kickstart their Premier League campaigns, and their urgency was evident from the opening whistle.
United threatened first when Lisandro Martínez unleashed an impressive volley that forced Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno into a sharp save.
The visitors went even closer shortly afterward. Cunha found Bruno Fernandes with a pull-back, but the Manchester United captain could only strike the post.
Fulham quickly demonstrated their own attacking threat.
Alex Iwobi delivered towards Josh King, whose effort was comfortably dealt with by Senne Lammens, before the United goalkeeper produced another important stop to deny Sander Berge.
Chances Flow at Both Ends
The first half developed into an end-to-end contest.
Oscar Bobb fired wide after cleverly escaping Martínez, while King was denied again by Lammens after being released by Iwobi.
Cunha almost broke the deadlock at the opposite end when his deflected long-range strike forced Leno to tip the ball onto the post.
Marcus Rashford, still searching for his first goal since returning to Manchester United, also had opportunities but failed to find the target.
The teams remarkably combined for 26 first-half attempts, the highest total recorded in the opening half of a Premier League match so far this season.
Martínez Own Goal Hands Fulham the Lead
The frantic tempo disappeared temporarily after half-time, with more than 15 minutes passing before either side registered an attempt.
Fulham eventually found the breakthrough.
Calvin Bassey dispossessed Cunha before driving towards the goal. Lammens saved his initial effort, but Martínez inadvertently poked the loose ball into his own net.
It was a frustrating moment for United after their goalkeeper had initially done enough to prevent Bassey from scoring.
Cunha Rescues Manchester United
United increased the pressure as they searched for an equalizer.
Leno produced saves to deny Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha, seemingly putting Fulham within touching distance of a valuable Premier League victory.
Cunha, however, had the final say.
With normal time almost over, the Brazilian fired from distance and saw his effort take a significant deflection off David Affengruber, sending the ball beyond Leno and into the net.
The strike was Cunha’s fifth career goal against Fulham and ensured Manchester United left Craven Cottage with a point.
Fulham 1-1 Manchester United: What the Result Means
Fulham successfully resisted United’s late attempts to complete the comeback, but the draw represented another missed opportunity for Arbeloa’s side.
The hosts were denied what would have been only their second victory in 22 top-flight meetings with Manchester United.
United, meanwhile, extended their impressive unbeaten sequence at Craven Cottage but could not disguise a difficult beginning to their campaign, equalling their lowest points total after five matches of a Premier League season.
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Final Thoughts
Manchester United may have avoided defeat, but Fulham will feel they allowed a precious victory to slip away.
After an action-packed opening half, Martínez’s own goal appeared to have given the hosts the decisive advantage before Cunha’s late intervention changed the story.
Full-time: Fulham 1-1 Manchester United.
