Full report: Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fulham in the Premier League, with goals from M. Cunha.
Manchester United drew 1-1 away at Fulham on Sunday 20 September at Craven Cottage, in matchweek 5 of the Premier League. A Lisandro Martínez own goal put Fulham ahead in the 63rd minute, and Matheus Cunha equalised in the 89th to rescue a point.
How the game went
- First half: goalless. The only incident of note was a yellow card for Fulham's Joshua King on 45 minutes, for simulation. It finished 0-0 at the break.
- 63': Fulham take the lead when Lisandro Martínez turns the ball into his own net.
- 89': Cunha equalises, with Patrick Dorgu (on as a substitute five minutes earlier) credited with the assist.
Afterwards Matheus Cunha and Michael Carrick gave different views on the energy levels in the game. Read both sides in our piece on what Carrick and Cunha said.
The numbers behind the draw
| Fulham | Manchester United | |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 42% | 58% |
| Shots | 12 | 29 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 6 |
| Corners | 3 | 13 |
| Fouls | 9 | 5 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.62 | 1.60 |
United had far more of the ball, more than twice as many shots and four times as many corners, but put the same number on target as Fulham. The expected-goals figures, which estimate the quality of chances created, are almost identical, which suggests a draw was a fair reflection of the chances.
Cards
All three bookings went to Fulham: Joshua King (45'), Timothy Castagne (50') and Rodrigo Muniz (85').
Line-up
United started in a 4-2-3-1: Senne Lammens; Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw; Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans; Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Matheus Cunha. Marcus Rashford made way for Joshua Zirkzee in the 77th minute, Kobbie Mainoo for Mason Mount in the 81st, and Luke Shaw for Patrick Dorgu in the 84th, which set up the equaliser. Dorgu provided the assist for Cunha's goal.
Context
The point followed a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City on 13 September. Five games into the season, United are 12th on five points (see the table), and you can see how the wider start to the campaign adds up in our seven-game review.
What's next
After the international break, United host Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday 10 October. Read our preview, or see the match centre for the game itself.
More numbers from Craven Cottage
- Chances: United had 17 of their 29 shots from inside the box and 12 from outside it, but 13 of them were blocked. Six were on target, the same as Fulham.
- Goalkeeping: Senne Lammens made six saves, while Fulham's goalkeeper made five.
- Passing: United completed 545 of 606 passes (90%) against Fulham's 400 of 457 (88%), a sign of how much of the game was played in Fulham's half.
- Discipline: Fulham committed nine fouls to United's five, and collected all three yellow cards.
What Cunha and Carrick said
Matheus Cunha, whose late goal earned the point, told reporters that Fulham had "put in more energy than us" at the start of the second half and that United "cannot accept this", according to The Guardian. Michael Carrick did not particularly agree: he said the way his side finished the game did not look like a lack of energy, that he was pleased with their response to the own goal, and that the display was "a small step". He said the margins had gone against United so far this season but that he was "not despondent". Asked about a sense of deflation among supporters, he said there was frustration but no deflation inside the club, and that it was "still a big season ahead". Some supporters booed when Kobbie Mainoo was replaced by Mason Mount; Carrick said he understood the reaction while chasing a game and took no offence.
The row over officials
The game has had an afterlife. Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa suggested in his post-match interview that the officials had favoured United, pointing to a free kick for a foul on Harry Maguire 35 seconds before Cunha's goal and to Erling Haaland's goal standing in the derby the week before. The Football Association has since charged Arbeloa with misconduct, alleging that he made comments that "imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official". He was given until 1 October to respond. As with any open disciplinary case, that is an allegation and not a finding.
Why a point was fair
The expected-goals figures, 1.62 for Fulham and 1.60 for United, are almost identical, which supports the view that a draw reflected the chances created. United had the ball and the shots, Fulham had the better quality of chances per attempt, and the only goals were an own goal and a last-minute equaliser. For the bigger picture, see seven games in numbers.