Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham on Sunday night courtesy of Lisandro Martinez's deflected strike.
Fulham narrowly eclipsed a tight and clean first half but struggled to get the home faithful out of their seats often. Those at the far end were similarly let down by their side's lethargy in the final third as United failed to even test Bernd Leno before the interval.
The second half was similarly slow-paced, but Martinez produced the defining moment for the Red Devils in the 78th minute as his deflected effort earned Ruben Amorim some breathing room and put United 12th in the Premier League League.
How the game unfolded
No team came racing out of the blocks at Craven Cottage but it was Fulham which forged the most promising openings during the early stages. Alex Iwobi twice called out Andre Onana for routine saves and Emile Smith Rowe was denied by Martinez's last-ditch block after United surrendered possession in their half.
The traveling supporters expressed their frustrations at their side's lack of attacking inspiration on the half-hour mark as Fulham's defense contained the likes of Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho with little fanfare. Rasmus Hojlund managed just 17 touches during the first half – fewer than Onana – while United didn't have their first effort on goal until the 42nd minute.
Bruno Fernandes provided United's first moment of invention after the restart as his free-kick slipped under the Fulham wall and into the side netting, with Amorim quickly returning to his bench in search of cleverness. Joshua Zirkzee entered the fray just before the hour mark hoping to produce another match-winner against Villa who had scored a debut strike in the reverse fixture.
The Dutchman certainly did not make an immediate impact for United as they continued to make hard work of their trip to the capital. Adama Traore almost made their night worse with 15 minutes to spare but the Fulham substitute flashed an encouraging opener over the crossbar.
It felt like a moment of genius or a stroke of luck would decide a drab affair and the latter proved United's savior in the 78th minute. Martinez's long-range effort took a huge deflection off Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic before spiraling beyond the reach of Leno and into the top corner.
Fulham looked unlikely to produce an equaliser, but had the odd chance at the dying thieves. Toby Collyer cleared the line off Joachim Andersen's header before Rodrigo Muniz fired over the bar from distance. The Brazilian will have been frustrated that he didn't do better.
Amad thought he had wrapped up the win in stoppage time as he curled a shot into the bottom corner, but United had to settle for a one-goal win after Var ruled out the forward's strike for marginal offside.
Check out the player ratings from Fulham vs Man Utd here.
Well, it wasn't pretty, but United won't care. The Red Devils were largely uncertain after securing an important win over a lifeless Fulham side, with luck on their side as they picked up just their second Premier League win of the New Year.
After their recent struggles, Sunday's victory will feel euphoric despite United still lacking cohesion and consistency, particularly in the final third. Amorim was unable to produce the master plan that unlocked Fulham, but he will at least be proud of his side's defensive efforts and ability to grind out the kind of score they have managed to produce for most of the season.
It's a win that slips over the cracks rather than turning the corner, but it's still a vital three points.
After starting the last two games together on the bench, Hojlund was given a vote of confidence by Amorim in West London. Thrust into the starting XI to battle two physical centre-backs, the Denmark international was hopeful of ending his ten-game goal drought.
However, the goals were not forthcoming for Hojlund, who produced a remarkably understated performance. He failed to create a single chance or aim on goal, managing just six accurate passes during his 58 minutes on the field.
United went direct at times and Hojlund was often the man on the receiving end of long vertical passes, but the forward surrendered possession too easily. He lost nine of his 11 tackles as the ball often bounced off his shin and fell back into Fulham's hands.
If this was an audition for a future starting spot, he won't get an answer.
Eyebrows may have been raised when Collyer was brought on to replace the injured Manuel Ugarte ahead of Kobbie Mainoo, who had to wait until later in the game to come on. The youngster has enjoyed an encouraging breakout season but still lacks the experience and technical quality of his Academy graduates.
However, while Collyer didn't have much to do after United Snuck won, he made an absolutely key contribution. With the clock ticking down and Fulham pressing for a Leverer, the 21-year-old was in the right place at the right time as he cleared Andersen's effort off the line from a corner.
Stopping low to spare United blushes, Collyer produced a clutch moment on a night of little drama and was quickly mobbed by his team-mates after an impressive tackle. He was rightly singled out for praise from match-winner Martinez after the whistle as he rescued his side from a late slide.