Fulham Stumbles as United Snags Craven Cottage Classic

Late Drama at the Cottage! A cagey affair turned on its head with a single moment of magic—or luck—from Manchester United’s defensive talisman.

January 26, 2025
10:48 pm

Manchester United snagged a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, marking their eighth straight Premier League victory at this West London spot. It wasn’t the most exciting match, but it sure had some nail-biting moments at the end, thanks to Lisandro Martínez’s deflected shot that made all the difference.

Even though Fulham came into the game seven points ahead of United, they couldn’t really take charge in a first half that lacked quality. The Cottagers had a couple of chances early on, with Alex Iwobi testing André Onana twice in the first 20 minutes, but neither shot really worried the United keeper. Like the visitors, Fulham struggled to create clear chances, though Antonee Robinson almost added to his assist tally with a great cross to Raúl Jiménez, who shot over from a tight angle.

The second half didn’t bring much relief for either team’s attacking woes. Bruno Fernandes’s low free-kick hitting the side netting was the closest anyone came to scoring early on. Surprisingly, over 20 minutes went by in the second half without a single touch in the opposing penalty area, showing just how tough it was to find that cutting edge.

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United, who had a habit of conceding first in eight of their last nine league matches, almost fell behind again when substitute Adama Traoré sent a wild shot wide. But with just over ten minutes left, a moment of magic—or maybe luck—changed the game. Fulham’s poor clearance landed perfectly for Martínez, who took a shot from distance. A nasty deflection and Bernd Leno’s desperate touch off the bar sent the ball into the net, sending the traveling United fans into a frenzy.

Even though the Red Devils only managed one shot on target all match, it was enough to grab the win. Late drama almost flipped the script when Toby Collyer made a key goal-line clearance to deny Joachim Andersen, and Rodrigo Muniz missed two chances to equalize for Fulham. Even a disallowed stoppage-time goal from Amad Diallo couldn’t put a damper on United’s celebrations.

For Ruben Amorim, this win brings some relief, lifting United to 12th in the table—a small step up that eases the pressure on the Portuguese manager. Meanwhile, Fulham stays in 10th, but this lackluster performance will give Marco Silva a lot to think about as they aim to keep their spot in the top half.