Manchester United secures late win against Fulham

Erik ten Hag's squad was without the services of Marcus Rashford, who was reportedly dealing with an injury following a controversial birthday celebration post the defeat against Manchester City. Rashford's absence paved the way for young talent Alejandro Garnacho to earn a starting berth.

VAR controversy

United believed they had taken the lead in the 12th minute when a free-kick from Christian Eriksen was laid off by Garnacho to Scott McTominay, who nudged the ball over the line. Celebrations were cut short, however, as the VAR intervened to rule out the goal, deeming Harry Maguire offside. Although Maguire did not touch the ball, his attempt to play it was adjudged sufficient to affect play.

A game of few chances

The first half saw United struggling to carve out significant opportunities, managing just a solitary weak shot on target. Fulham, while more threatening, failed to truly test United's goalkeeper André Onana. Despite their possession and positioning, Fulham could not capitalise on their first-half momentum.

Onana's heroics

It was thanks to goalkeeper André Onana that United did not find themselves behind early in the second half. He produced two spectacular saves to keep the Red Devils in the contest. As the game progressed, United's attempts at goal were thwarted, reflecting their difficulties in creating clear-cut chances.

Late drama

United's perseverance paid off in the final ten minutes as they began to assert more pressure. Fernandes forced a save from Fulham's Bernd Leno with a long-range free-kick, and Anthony Martial came close with an acrobatic attempt. The breakthrough finally came in the 90th minute when Fernandes found the net from the edge of the box, sparking celebrations among the United faithful.

Upward movement in the table

With this win, Manchester United move up to a provisional sixth place in the Premier League standings, now with 18 points from 11 matches. This result is a welcome respite after suffering back-to-back 3-0 defeats at home to Manchester City and Newcastle United.

The Red Devils will look to build on this narrow victory as they seek to regain their form and climb further up the league table. Bruno Fernandes's late heroics may just be the catalyst for a United revival as the season progresses.