FULHAM 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED: Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike earned Ruben Amorim’s side a much-needed victory at Craven Cottage which lifts them up to 12th
This one will go down as the great escape.
Manchester United were incredibly fortunate to get away with all three points after a pretty ugly, scrappy affair at Craven Cottage. And Lisandro Martinez was lucky to still be on the pitch to score the winner after a two-footed lunge on Adama Traore as the two of them reignited old hostilities.
Martinez’s shot was deflected up and over Fulham keeper Bernd Leno to delight the travelling fans behind the goal who had stuck with United throughout. How first referee Anthony Taylor and then the VAR missed Martinez’s challenge on Traore is anyone’s guess. How much contact is almost irrelevant. Martinez set out to do him. It has not been a good weekend for officials.
Their beef dates back to when the clubs met in August as Martinez said he sent Traore “to the gym” and the Fulham player hit back by saying they “will meet again.” Martinez is the firebrand in United’s team and you would not want to pick a fight with him but his two-footed lunges are becoming a trademark.
The challenge sparked angry scenes afterwards and fate always dictates that Martinez would be the match-winner. The VAR match centre did not think it made the threshold. Frankly, it was largely an awful game. The worst of the Premier League weekend but probably an early 40th birthday present for United boss Ruben Amorim.
United have an incredible record at Craven Cottage and this made it eight straight wins at Fulham to push them into the lofty heights of 12th. There is a long way back for United and if life begins at 40 then Amorim must also be hoping his brave new world begins soon.
Amorim stood on the touchline looking every inch as suave and as stylish as ever which was in stark contrast to his team. United are bang average and in desperate need of reinforcements. There is a week to go in the transfer window and Amorim needs more of a miracle than a couple of big signings. This lot look stranded and going nowhere fast.
Alejandro Garnacho played despite the uncertainty around his future while there was no Marcus Rashford in the squad again. Those two are United’s bargaining chips to sell and get new talent but selling a rich talent like Garnacho only to bring in a pretty average player just to fit a system seems like shooting yourself in the foot.
Surely it is a weakness in Amorim’s make-up as a coach that he is so wedded to his back three system when, on days like these, he needs a bit more spontaneity and imagination. The game certainly lacked quality in a first half which must be a contender as one of the worst 45 minutes of football in the Premier League this season. Matthias de Ligt managed one shot which was so weak that it would not have trickled over the line.
The second half was not much better. Fulham’s Timothy Castagne took out Manchester United wing-back Noussair Mazraoui on the edge of the box. United captain Fernandes fired the free-kick into the side-netting. Manuel Ugarte was eventually booked for a late and high challenge – a red card on a different day with a different ref these days – on Traore and he had to be replaced by youngster Toby Collyer.
Tensions rose with Martinez’s challenge and eventually the deadlock was broken. Garnacho got down the left flank, his low cross was only cleared as far as Martinez whose shot was deflected off Sasa Lukic, it span into the air and then dipped under the bar.
Fulham defender Joachim Andersen had a header cleared off the line by Collyer while United’s Amad saw an injury time effort ruled out by VAR. It was not a game to live in the memory.
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