Fulham were denied a key Premier League victory by a late, deflected Matheus Cunha equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Craven Cottage. The result leaves Marco Silva's side 19th in the table with just two points from their opening five matches.
Lisandro Martinez's own goal in the 63rd minute had given the hosts a deserved lead, but Cunha's effort in the 89th minute took a decisive deflection to beat Bernd Leno. The Fulham goalkeeper had been excellent throughout, making key saves to keep his team in front. "On his toes to make an early save from Lisandro Martinez and scrambling when Matheus Cunha's effort looped on to a post," Leno said of his performance. "Denied Bryan Mbeumo with full-length save."
Silva's side show fight
Fulham created the better chances for much of the contest. Calvin Bassey's work created the opening goal, with his cross turned into his own net by United defender Martinez under pressure. Josh King was a constant threat for the Cottagers. "Always looking to get on the ball and threaten," King said. "Took a good save from Lammens to deny him at the far post and his shot across goal was going in without the visitors' keeper kicking it away." King was later booked for simulation.
Antonee Robinson pushed high into advanced areas from left-back, while Alex Iwobi repeatedly tried to exploit the inside left channel. A Gonzalo Garcia tap-in was only half a stride away from connecting with an Iwobi cross. Sander Berge forced a save with a shot from the edge of the area, and Shea Charles provided a solid midfield partnership alongside him.
Defensively, the return of Luke Shaw from a three-match absence provided stability, but Diogo Dalot's advanced positioning sometimes left gaps. Harry Maguire used his experience to draw a foul from King at a key moment. Despite the late setback, the performance offered more promise than recent results, which include a 3-2 win at West Ham and a goalless draw at Liverpool. You can review the team's upcoming schedule on our fixtures page.
The draw means Fulham have taken two points from a possible fifteen this season, scoring five goals and conceding eight. They remain 13 points behind league leaders Manchester City. The team will look to build on this performance when they travel to face 11th-placed Ipswich Town on 10 October. For now, the search for a first league win of the campaign continues, with Kenny Tete and Tom Cairney still sidelined through injury. The full squad list is available on our squad page.
More detail at BBC Sport Football
