Manchester United 3-2 Fulham: Red Devils secure vital three points against Cottagers
What is the Manchester United DNA? A lot of people have tried to clear that up in the last month and not a lot of people have succeeded. But there should be some consensus at least that, whatever it is, it involves late thrilling goals to grab a winner at the death.
Two goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha seemed to be sending United cruising back into the top four, Fulham mastered and subdued, but a penalty by Raul Jimenez and a goal-of-the-season contender by Kevin seemed to have secured a draw for Fulham.
But Benjamin Sesko, who had come off the bench for the third consecutive time under Michael Carrick, summoned the spirit of Fergie time to grab a late winner that meant United did not fall behind after Chelsea and Liverpool had all won on Saturday.
After the ruthlessness and quality they showed against the top two of Manchester City and Arsenal, the big question heading into this game was whether United could do it against a midtable side.
They would need to take the game to their opponent, play on the front foot, keep possession and create rather than seek to punish the opponent’s slip-ups.
It is difficult to say whether this game proved that they could. Their weaknesses were exposed, and sans Sesko’s goal in the fourth minute of added time, to cancel out Kevin’s equaliser on the first minute of added time, the verdict at full time would have been that the Red Devils still suffer much of the same ailment under Carrick as they did under Ruben Amorim before him.
In Patrick Dorgu’s absence Cunha started on the left, the only change to the squad that defeated Arsenal the Emirates. After a fan protest outside the stadium just before the game, United started brightly, flitting about and pinging passes with confidence.
Harry Maguire tried a header from a corner but too close to Bernd Leno. Cunha was brought down by Jorge Cuenca and the referee gave a penalty, but upon a VAR review it was awarded as a freekick instead. Then from the freekick, it was Casemiro giving the Red Devils the lead. Bruno Fernandes lifted the ball dangerously across goal and the Brazilian rose highest to head in.
Fulham were not unimpressive. Andersen’s effort from a corner in the first half was close but kept out by Senne Lammens, and by the second half, having gone into the break behind, Marco Silva sent his boys out with renewed purpose, and they began to ask deeper questions of United.
Cunha’s goal came just in time and seemed to relieve some of the pressure. Casemiro played a pass through to his Brazilian teammate and Cunha unleashed at once, sending the ball beyond Leno into the roof of the net.
The Cottagers nevertheless continued to push. Chukwueze’s deflected effort fell to Cuenca and the defender tapped in, but it was chalked off for offside. The game began to open up even more. Sesko hit the post with a header and Jimenez threatened after a cross toward the far post, before Maguire upended the Mexican and Fulham had a penalty and a lifeline.
Jimenez converted to halve the deficit with five minutes to go in normal time and the Cottagers clicked into another gear. Nine minutes of stoppage time were given and only one was spent before Kevin curled an outrageous shot from the edge of the box into the top corner to pull the visitors level. But Sesko had the last word.
