34 min: Fernandes is fouled and United have a free-kick on the left-hand edge of the area. Few questions over who will take it. He spots the ball Ronaldo-style and hoofs it over in the style of Neil Jenkins.
32 min: Lovely spinning pass from Bruno to Shaw but the full back can’t get the ball across. Mason Greenwood has been quiet on the flank. Cavani is the centre forward and perhaps cramping his style.
29 min: The Cavani goal owed much to Areola’s fumble of a Bruno’s cross. Wan-Bissaka sorties forward and Martial heads the ball off Tete’s head. From the corner, Maguire climbs highest and misses. Fulham had gone to sleep. That counts as a miss.
25 min: United supplying Bruno the ball all the time, and he is demanding it too. Pogba is very much in a supporting role. These days, and when he’s in this mood, everyone is in a supporting role to Bruno.
22 min: Ole himself would have approved of that goal, a real poacher’s goal. Fernandes though is now in the mood. His crashing shot is well saved by Areola. United smell blood.
21 min:Fulham take their time over a throw-in. Shaw begins a United move and gets almost to the byline and he releases Fernandes, whose shot cracks off the post. United recycle the ball. A cross from the left rebounds to Cavani and United are level!
17 min: Scott Parker is very vocal on the sidelines. His Fulham team concede a soft corner which doesn’t amuse him. United try to be too clever and make a mess of it. Soon enough, they are back in defence and try to build up an attack.
14 min: Fred’s ball is skewed by an exasperated Fernandes. Cavani is making a nuisance of himself in chasing shadows. It is going to take something to unpick this lock.
8 min: This is a test for Manchester United, who really don’t like to play against a massed defence. Fulham have retreated into their shell already and will probably use Lookman as their outlet.
Long ball out to Lookman who surges through. He’s onside, played there by Wan-Bissaka, and scores. Great finish. And a big shock. Scott Parker punches the air in delight!
4 min: The television coverage has allowed a decent earful of the benches and their exhortations to the players. Fulham’s crew and bringing the ruckus. United have two sniffs, first Greenwood and then Cavani.
2 min: It’s cagey but Fulham have pushed up from the start. Wan-Bissaka comes under some pressure with the ball on the edge of his box. Fulham then press hard once more, and Lookman gets space to shoot. It’s a low skidder and David de Gea is happy to claim it with his body behind the ball.
Richard Hirst has been in touch. “Venturing into the land of inappropriate comparisons, I feel this game is the perfect follow up to the inauguration. Quiet and moderate Biden/Fulham about to repudiate narcissistic and self-entitled Trump United. It will be good to feel that we are playing our part in knocking them off their ……. perch. Not that I think we will, anymore than the red half of the USA will accept Biden, but in both cases one can dream.”
Here’s where Ole Gunnar Solskjær earns his corn by urging his men to great things on what looks a stinking night. The rather antsy buildup music that visitors to Craven Cottage are used to hearing is blaring out to the empty stands. So, here come the teams.
Manchester City have won 2-0 against Aston Villa, though had to work hard. They are top of the league and thus United must win to leapfrog City and Leicester City.
For Fulham, Bobby Decordova-Reid makes way for Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Joe Bryan steps in for Antonee Robinson.
For Manchester United, Eric Bailly replaces Lindelöf at the heart of the defence. Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood replace Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, with Paul Pogba, who played off the flank at Anfield, is playing in midfield.
Should Manchester City – currently playing Aston Villa at the Etihad – win then United will have to climb over both them and Leicester to top the table. Scott Murray has the latest from that.
Johnny Haynes. Ole’s Army makes its way down to what will be a brass monkey’s night out on the banks of the Thames. Manchester United need to win to leapfrog Leicester as Brendan’s boys have a better goal difference. They come up against a home team who have improved their performance level while won since November – against Leicester – but only lost twice, with creditable defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City bookending six straight draws. It’s still far from impossible that Scott E Parker’s Fulham pull themselves out of the mire if they find out how to win matches. United’s performances at Burnley and Liverpool were not exactly scintillating but grinding along seems as a good a policy as any this season. Last time Fulham were in the Premier League they lost 7-1 on aggregate to United, losing 3-0 at home in February 2019 to two goals from Paul Pogba – including a penalty – and one from Anthony Martial. Johnny Haynes.
Fulham Football Club
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