Matheus Cunha Rescues Manchester United Draw at Fulham

Manchester United will enter the international break with only five points from their opening five Premier League matches after Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute goal rescued a 1-1 draw at Fulham. The result leaves United 12th in the table and represents their poorest start to a league campaign since 2014.

Fulham had looked set to claim the points at Craven Cottage after Lisandro Martínez turned the ball into his own net, while Cunha later suggested the home side had shown greater energy at the beginning of the second half. Match data showed Fulham covered six kilometres more than United over the course of the game, but Michael Carrick rejected the idea that his squad’s physical condition had been a decisive problem.

Carrick said he had been encouraged by the way United ended the contest, arguing that they continued to press for a result and finished strongly. He did not believe fitness was an issue, pointing instead to the late response that prevented what would have been a third costly defeat in the space of a week.

United had been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton on Wednesday, making the recovery at Fulham significant despite Carrick’s acknowledgement that a draw was not the intended outcome. He described the start to the season as far from ideal, but felt the team’s reaction to adversity was an important part of its development.

The United head coach said the match could easily have gone the other way and praised his players for finding a route back into the game. He believes that response can help the group as the season progresses.

United do not play again until 10 October, when Tottenham Hotspur visit Old Trafford following the FIFA international window.