Cunha rescues Manchester United after Martinez own-goal horror show at Fulham
Late Cunha strike spares United more misery
Matheus Cunha struck a deflected 89th-minute equaliser to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw at Fulham, rescuing Michael Carrick’s side from what would have been another damaging defeat.
Fulham had looked set to claim their first Premier League win under Alvaro Arbeloa after Lisandro Martinez turned the ball into his own net in the 63rd minute. Calvin Bassey powered through Matheus Cunha and saw his shot parried by Senne Lammens, only for Martinez to stick out a boot and divert the ball past his own goalkeeper.
Gary Neville described the incident as “a real mess”, while also criticising United’s passive possession before the goal as “the worst 15 minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play”. The visitors had already endured a midweek Carabao Cup collapse against Brighton and a Manchester derby defeat the previous weekend.
Chances came and went at both ends
United could have taken the lead before half-time. Matheus Cunha’s cutback found Bruno Fernandes, whose effort struck the post, while another Cunha attempt took a heavy deflection, clipped the woodwork and spun wide. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno also made several full-stretch saves, including efforts from Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha.
Fulham carried a threat of their own. Senne Lammens denied Josh King twice, while Sander Berge also forced a save after Gonzalo Garcia’s mis-hit volley. The hosts were encouraged by a strong attacking display from Alex Iwobi and Antonee Robinson, but they were unable to protect their lead.
With time running out, Cunha collected possession and saw his shot take a wicked deflection off David Affengruber before beating Leno. The goal softened the blow for United but offered little disguise to a troubling performance.
United remain stuck in the bottom half
Manchester United remain in the bottom half after five league matches, 10 points behind leaders Manchester City. The result represents their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, and the side now faces a three-week international break with significant work required to recover its form.
“They put in more energy than us, we cannot accept this,” Cunha told Sky Sports. “We need to do our best. We need to improve in every single position.”
Fulham moved off the bottom of the table on goal difference and can take encouragement from a performance that followed their draw at Liverpool. For Arbeloa, however, the wait for a first Premier League victory continues.