Fulham 0-1 Manchester United: What Were The Main Talking Points As Bruno Fernandes Drags United To A Crucial Victory?

Arriving at Craven Cottage in desperate need of a crucial boost on Saturday afternoon, Bruno Fernandes’ last-gasp winner dragged Manchester United to a 1-0 victory against Fulham.

While Erik ten Hag’s side might have thought they had opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes before Scott McTominay’s finish was ruled out by VAR, United once again failed to find any kind of stability.

Failing to create any clear-cut opportunities on either side of the half-time break, it was eventually Fernandes who produced the one standout moment of class as United’s skipper found a way past Bernd Leno in the first minute of stoppage time.

Bouncing back following what was a nightmare week at Old Trafford, ten Hag also managed to claim some temporary breathing room.

While it might have been Marcus Rashford’s omission that stole most of the headlines here, United must take away the positives from their last-gasp winner in west London.

Although Fulham might have extended on their EFL Cup adventure earlier in the week thanks to a 3-1 romp away at Championship high-flyers Ipswich, the Cottagers have now registered just a single victory from their previous six Premier League appearances.

With Fernandes dragging United over the finish line on Saturday lunchtime, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Craven Cottage.

United limp their way to a crucial response

Crashing out of the EFL Cup earlier in the week following a woeful 3-0 drumming at the hands of Newcastle, it was no secret that Manchester United arrived at Craven Cottage seeking a crucial response.

Coming under a huge amount of scrutiny last weekend as they feel to another 3-0 loss against bitter local rivals Manchester City, ten Hag has found mounting pressure on his shoulders at Old Trafford.

While the Red Devils might have been seconds away from facing another domestic nightmare, they must use Saturday’s last-gasp winner as a platform to build on.

Still facing what will certainly be a real uphill battle in their bid to book a Champions League knockout stage ticket this season, United know that there remains plenty of work that needs to be completed behind the scenes.

With Saturday’s 1-0 win just the third Premier League victory that they have collected from their previous eight appearances, ten Hag’s side are desperate to find some kind of stability heading into November’s international break.

Fernandes shows his importance to United

With big-money summer recruit Rasmus Hojlund still waiting to open his Premier League account since arriving from Atalanta, much of United’s issues this season has come down to a lack of fluidity in the final third.

Drawing back-to-back blanks in their respective 3-0 defeats against Newcastle and Manchester City over the past week, Fernandes has received a fair amount of criticism for his performances this season.

However, while former United skipper Roy Keane might have publicly called on the ex-Sporting Lisbon star to be stripped of the captain’s armband, Fernandnes certainly dragged ten Hag’s side over the finish line here.

Producing a slick finish from the edge of the box in the opening seconds of stoppage time and notching just his third Premier League strike of the season, ten Hag has made it clear that the 29-year-old has a crucial role to play across all fronts.

With the likes of Antony and Rashford both failing to produce anything in the final third, Fernandes must step up and spearhead United’s attacking charge.

Fulham miss out on a golden opportunity

Punching their EFL Cup quarter-final ticket earlier in the week and putting in an eye-catching performance as they clinched a 3-1 victory away at Championship high-flyers Ipswich, Fulham would have certainly been smelling the chance to spring a heavyweight upset here.

Gaining a string of plaudits last season as they secured a top-half finish on their Premier League return, Marco Silva’s men have their sights set on mounting another top-10 charge this time around.

Opening Saturday’s showdown by winning four of their previous five showdowns at Craven Cottage, the former Everton boss would have been confident of cashing in on a Manchester United squad who find themselves at the heart of a Premier League nightmare.

Nevertheless, suffering last-gasp heartbreak here after a rugged display in west London, Fulham must dust themselves down quickly and avoid dropping into top-flight limbo.

Despite their EFL Cup success in midweek, the Cottagers have won just one of their previous six Premier League appearances.

Match Report

Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson, Wilson, Palhinha, Iwobi, Pereira, Willian, Muniz

Subs: Cairney, Vinicius, De Cordova-Reid, Jimenez, Lukic

Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Evans, Dalot, Eriksen, McTominay, Garnacho, Fernandes, Antony, Hojlund

Subs: Mount, Martial, Pellistri, Varane

Goals: Fernandes (90+1’)

Yellow Cards: Fulham: Jimenez, Iwobi, Palhinha, Robinson, Pereira – Manchester United: Garnacho, Dalot

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: John Brooks