Fulham were denied a first Premier League victory under manager Alvaro Arbeloa by a late, deflected equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Craven Cottage. The result leaves the club 19th in the Premier League standings with just two points from their opening five matches, a position that shows the urgency for improvement.
Lisandro Martínez's own goal in the 63rd minute, forced by Calvin Bassey's effort, had given the home side a lead they defended resolutely. Bernd Leno made several key saves, tipping away a curling Matheus Cunha effort and keeping out a powerful long-range strike from Martínez earlier in the game. United's pressure finally told with a minute of normal time remaining. Cunha got the better of David Affengruber near the byline and his cut-back found Bruno Fernandes, whose shot rolled against the post. The rebound fell back to Cunha, whose shot then spun heavily off Affengruber and past Leno.
"It was a shot that deflected heavily off David Affengruber," Cunha said afterwards, describing the goal that rescued his side.
The match had been a largely muted affair, with Fulham creating chances of their own. Alex Iwobi went through on goal and Josh King forced a low save from Senne Lammens, while Gonzalo Garcia shot wide after being found by Antonee Robinson. The draw extends Fulham's winless league run to three games, following a defeat to Crystal Palace and a draw with Liverpool. Arbeloa is still searching for that elusive first league win since taking charge, a quest that will continue after the international break with a trip to face Ipswich Town on 10 October.
With the squad now breaking for international duty, the manager will hope for positive news on the injury front. Kenny Tete and Tom Cairney remain sidelined, which continues to impact the available options within the squad. The team's overall stats reflect the struggle for results, with the search for a winning formula ongoing.
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