Manchester United beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage.
Lisandro Martínez's defense proved decisive in a game where chances were high.
The first half was far from attacking and both teams were able to assert their authority.
Fulham created problems on the left flank with Alex Iwobi. Nigerian winger Andre Onana was checked twice but failed to trouble the United keeper.
Fulham's best chance of the half fell to Emile Smith Rowe, who found himself one-on-one with Onana, but couldn't hit the target and lifted his effort harmlessly wide.
Meanwhile, United struggled at halftime. Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes showed glimpses of creativity but the visitors scored just once in the opening 45 minutes – their lowest first-half tally in a Premier League game since April 2024.
🔴👊 Three points on the road for the Reds.#MUFC || #FULMUN
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 26 2025
The second half started in similar fashion with both teams struggling to create meaningful chances.
Fulham introduced Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traore in an attempt to inject energy into their attack, while United made a number of changes, including the introduction of Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee. However, clear-cut chances remained elusive and the game remained a stalemate.
In the 78th minute of the game, they scored an equalizer and it was a lucky moment for the visitors. Garnacho's pull from the left saw Toby Collyer go wide without a shot.
The ball was crossed by Martinez from a corner kick. His ambitious effort took a powerful deflection off Sasa Lukic and curled into the far corner of Bernd Leno. Craven Cottage stunned and United took the lead.
Fulham threw everything at United in the final moments. Timothy Castagne and Muniz both went close, with the golden opportunity skyrocketing until Muniz stopped it from close range.
A chaotic scene saw Andreas Pereira's corner crossed by Joachim Andersen, only for Collyer to clear it off the line. Fulham appealed for a goal but replays confirmed the ball had not gone through.
United thought they had added a second in the dying moments when Mainoo and Amad Diallo combined beautifully to head home the final goal. However, VAR ruled out the goal for offside, leaving Fulham hopeless.
Despite late pressure from Fulham, United secured a vital three points.