How Manchester United salvaged an uninspiring draw away at Fulham

[p]What's more, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Red Devils[/a] were also unbeaten in the last five meetings across competitions, taking into account those matches played at Old Trafford, too.[/p][h2]Man Utd needed response after dire Brighton defeat[/h2][p]After a dire performance against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] in midweek, when they allowed a two-goal lead to slip, eventually going down 3-2 in front of their own fans at the Theatre of Dreams, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carrick-michael/phM8NElP/"]Michael Carrick[/a] would've been looking for a reaction from his players.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arbeloa-alvaro/CO9bjrLo/"]Alvaro Arbeloa[/a] also needed to get a result against the Red Devils to stop the murmurs that have already arisen as a result of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a]'s poor start to the 2026/27 campaign.[/p][image alt="Fulham vs Man Utd - Match stats" id="49e6b8c0-b06a-4cb5-b9c5-ffacda3a650e" credit-line="Flashscore" hidden-attrs="alt, credit" guid="c877a35b-7a44-4e16-abaf-8172ec84e71e" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]Yet to have won a game, and having lost both of their home matches this season to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] (3-2) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a] (also 3-2), the Cottagers were only being kept off the bottom of the table because of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/coventry/GOvB22xg/"]Coventry[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a]'s goalless and winless starts ahead of the round.[/p][p]However, the Sky Blues' maiden victory at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] the day before this game had really put the cat amongst the pigeons.[/p][infobox id="c5ce5f5a-ccb6-468f-9fce-bb4a330c372a" /][h2]Both sides went for it in attacking sense[/h2][p]Although the hosts had the first effort at goal through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garcia-gonzalo/pWxyEyDA/"]Gonzalo Garcia[/a], United quickly hit back with four attempts in quick succession, only one of which was on target.[/p][p]In fact, that was a feature of most attempts from either side in the first 25 minutes or so, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a] going closest when his right-footed shot hit the woodwork.[/p][p]Both Fulham and United were at least going for it and not being held back by a reticence to attack.[/p][embed guid="2dda8d67-b144-4980-973f-f25f64de9c2c" url="https://x.com/premierleague/status/2101706969748828472" social-type="twitter" /][p]Fulham's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/king-joshua/tnnZhru5/"]Josh King[/a] went on to have seven touches in the United box and three shots at goal, with only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] more industrious in the former sense (10 touches).[/p][p]Incredibly, by half-time, the hosts had seen nine attempts come and go, whilst United were also goalless despite having had 17 attempts.[/p][h2]Combative Fulham[/h2][p]The number of times visiting players were having to involve themselves in one-on-one duels at least brings into focus the competitiveness that Fulham had brought into the game.[/p][p]By the end of the 90 minutes, for example, all of Rashford, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mainoo-kobbie/nBy3DbC3/"]Kobbie Mainoo[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dalot-diogo/rZZKJVOS/"]Diogo Dalot[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maguire-harry/xG8v3YRA/"]Harry Maguire[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tielemans-youri/GtkTQyib/"]Youri Tielemans[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbeumo-bryan/8KDrOl80/"]Bryan Mbeumo[/a] had been involved in at least seven duels each.[/p][embed guid="930d81cd-4688-4e4a-a33b-5da3509bcabc" url="https://x.com/FulhamFC/status/2101741295274278944" social-type="twitter" /][p]Maguire's six successful duels from seven was the best return, and the centre-back also had the level best showing in terms of aerial duels, winning two of his three.[/p][p]Defensively, United won all of the eight tackles which their players attempted during the game, and this area is where Fulham arguably let themselves down, also winning eight, but from 13 attempts.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fulham-69ZiU2Om/manchester-utd-ppjDR086/?mid=vq6T9aFr"]Catch up on more Fulham v Man Utd stats with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][h2]Arbeloa was far too passive in the dugout[/h2][p]Arbeloa's passivity on the sidelines offered a look into his demeanour, and perhaps goes some way to explaining Fulham's current position in the table, if he's unable to motivate his playing staff to any great degree.[/p][p]They needed a big slice of luck to go ahead in the game too, after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lammens-senne/UFssg7X4/"]Senne Lammens[/a] spilt [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bassey-calvin/faJVc0Mk/"]Calvin Bassey[/a]'s shot, and watched as it bounced in off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-lisandro/GIzJAqQs/"]Lisandro Martinez[/a].[/p][embed guid="2674127f-10a1-41ed-8347-fac7e672e7e7" url="https://x.com/FulhamFC/status/2101778424826110244" social-type="twitter" /][p]Former United stalwart, Gary Neville, has lambasted United's players for not trying hard enough to repel an onslaught from the hosts, and the stat that Fulham's players collectively ran some 6km more than their opponents is an astonishing one.[/p][p]Belatedly, the visitors got their act together, with the hosts' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castagne-timothy/xYfOMcA5/"]Timothy Castagne[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/affengruber-david/EFLxG99f/"]David Affengruber[/a] having to make seven clearances each.[/p][h2]Cunha's lucky break for United[/h2][p]With just over a minute to play plus injury time, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/matheus-cunha/bq5QzRdb/"]Matheus Cunha[/a] broke Fulham's hearts with a deflected equaliser, and though it was no more than they deserved after a concerted effort to get back in the game, it clearly wasn't enough of a sign-off before the international break.[/p][p]An expectation of all three points wasn't without foundation, and yet when United pore over the details of this match and see they had several players completing well over 90% of their passes, it speaks of much more work needing to be done behind the scenes.[/p][embed guid="39d8a33b-2493-4a0b-86b6-6d7ac1ad2a89" url="https://x.com/ManUtd/status/2101778431486665042" social-type="twitter" /][p]The visitors only had five players in the squad complete less than 90%, so it clearly can't be an issue with possession that's causing them problems; moreover, the lack of accuracy when shooting is far more likely to be the root cause.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shaw-luke/88iLXV0O/"]Luke Shaw[/a]'s one shot on target from four attempts, along with Rashford's two from six and Mbeumo's one from five, is a truer reflection of where the visitors needed to improve.[/p][p]Ultimately, both sides will have to be satisfied with a point, and international players aside, they now have three weeks to work on getting things right before Man Utd host Tottenham, and Fulham travel to Ipswich.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]