Manchester United escaped Craven Cottage with a point on Sunday after Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute equaliser cancelled out an unfortunate Lisandro Martínez own goal, denying Fulham what would have been their first Premier League victory under new manager Álvaro Arbeloa.
The 1–1 draw on 20 September 2026 extended United’s winless run in the league to three matches and left Michael Carrick’s side with just five points from their opening five Premier League games. For Fulham, the result continued an encouraging but frustrating start under Arbeloa, who is still searching for his first league victory.
A first half full of chances
The scoreline at half-time was 0–0, but that hardly reflected the intensity of the opening 45 minutes.
The two sides combined for 26 first-half shots, a Premier League record for a goalless first half since Opta’s shot data began in 2003–04.
United had one of their clearest opportunities when Cunha worked his way around the Fulham defence and cut the ball back for Bruno Fernandes. The United captain, however, struck the post.
Cunha himself then came close when a deflected effort looped over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno before striking the woodwork.
Fulham were dangerous too. Josh King, Sander Berge and Oscar Bobb all threatened, while United goalkeeper Senne Lammens was forced into several important saves.
Lammens kept out King’s close-range effort and produced another crucial stop from Berge, ensuring United went into the interval level.
Fulham take the lead
After the frantic first half, the tempo initially dropped after the restart.
Then came the breakthrough.
In the 63rd minute, Fulham defender Calvin Bassey won possession and fired towards goal. Lammens parried the shot, but the ball fell awkwardly inside the six-yard box.
Martínez attempted to intervene but inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
It was a particularly painful moment for the Argentine defender, who had previously scored the winning goal when United defeated Fulham at Craven Cottage in January 2025.
Fulham were suddenly 1–0 ahead, and for more than 25 minutes they appeared capable of holding on.
Leno keeps Fulham ahead
Leno became increasingly important for Fulham, making saves from Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha as United searched for an equaliser.
United finished the match with 29 attempts, compared with Fulham’s 12, and had 13 corners to Fulham’s three. Yet the number of shots did not translate into a commanding attacking performance: both teams registered six shots on target and finished with almost identical expected-goal figures 1.59 for United and 1.57 for Fulham.
That statistic captures the central tension of the match. United had substantially more possession, attempts and territory, but Fulham continued to create genuine opportunities of their own.
Cunha’s late escape act
With the match heading towards full time, United finally found their breakthrough.
In the 89th minute, Cunha received the ball outside the Fulham penalty area and struck towards goal. His effort took a significant deflection off Fulham defender David Affengruber, changing its trajectory and wrong-footing Leno.
Fulham 1–1 Manchester United.
It was a fortunate equaliser, but an enormously important one for United. After recent defeats to Manchester City and Brighton, another loss would have left Carrick facing an even more difficult international break.
Arbeloa’s team had taken the lead and had chances to extend it, but ultimately could not withstand United’s late pressure. Nevertheless, the performance provided encouragement after Fulham had also drawn 0–0 away to Liverpool earlier in the month.
The visitors dominated possession at 57.3%, attempted more than twice as many shots and created 21 chances compared with Fulham’s 11. Yet their attacking dominance produced only one goal, while their defensive lapse allowed Fulham to take the lead.
Carrick acknowledged afterwards that there were positives to take, but the result also extended a difficult period for his team.
What the result means
The draw leaves United on five points after five league matches, with one win, two draws and two defeats. Their recent sequence includes the 1–0 Manchester derby defeat, a 3–2 League Cup loss to Brighton and now the draw at Fulham.
For Fulham, the point moves them away from the bottom of the table on goal difference, although Arbeloa remains without a Premier League victory after five matches.
The international break therefore arrives at a useful moment for both managers.
For Arbeloa, the task is to turn promising performances into victories. For Carrick, the priority is to improve a United side that is creating opportunities but has struggled to convert its control into results.
At Craven Cottage, neither side got everything it wanted. Fulham came within minutes of their first league win under their new manager, while United avoided what would have been a third successive defeat in all competitions.
In the end, Cunha’s deflected 89th-minute strike ensured the spoils were shared but the questions surrounding Manchester United’s early-season form remain.
