Slack Man United cling to point as late goal stuns Fulham

Manchester United salvaged a point at Craven Cottage as a bizarre own goal by Lisandro Martinez handed Fulham a 1‑1 draw, ending United’s run of three Premier League games without a win. The match, overseen by caretaker Michael Carrick, left the Red Devils in the bottom half of the table ahead of the international break.

First half: muted chances and missed opportunities

The first half was lethargic and muted, with Manchester United struggling to impose themselves. Antonee Robinson drifted the ball inside to Gonzalo Garcia, whose effort drifted wide in search of his second Premier League goal. Later, Lisandro Martinez unleashed a thunderous strike from distance that Bernd Leno turned away at full stretch.

United came close to taking the lead when Matheus Cunha beat David Affengruber near the byline and cut the ball back for Bruno Fernandes, whose shot rattled the post. Senne Lammens, Fulham’s goalkeeper, had already made three saves in quick succession, including a smart block from Sander Berge. Oscar Bobb then drifted wide from a good position, prompting Leno to tip away Cunha’s awkward deflected effort.

Second half drama and late equaliser

The second half saw United’s goalkeeper intermittently keeping his side in the game, once sticking out a boot to divert Josh King’s low shot behind, later sprinting forward to smother a rush from Alex Iwobi. Matheus Cunha attempted to clear a ball from Bassey but crumpled in midfield, allowing the defender to sprint forward. The Brazilian later crossed to Marcus Rashford, whose effort landed behind the Fulham supporters.

The surreal turning point arrived when Lisandro Martinez’s pass back to Senne Lammens was mishandled; the goalkeeper attempted to shovel away Calvin Bassey’s shot with his legs rather than his gloves, then failed to keep the ball out of the net, resulting in an own goal credited to Martinez.

Fulham equalised in the 89th minute when Matheus Cunha’s powerful strike deflected heavily off David Affengruber before looping past a stranded Bernd Leno. The goal rescued a point for the London side and denied United a third consecutive defeat.

United avoided a third loss in a week but remain in the bottom half of the Premier League, set to spend the international break there. Their point keeps them in 12th place with a record of one win, two draws and two defeats after four games.

Caretaker Michael Carrick’s side have now gone three matches without a win across all competitions, following a 1‑0 loss in the Manchester derby and a blown two‑goal lead in a League Cup exit to Brighton. Carrick is expected to address the squad soon, with the next fixture postponed until after the break.