Controversy, a skied penalty, and a record signing’s rescue act
A skied spot-kick from Bruno Fernandes and a disputed opener told the story before Emile Smith Rowe stepped off the bench to rescue a point. That’s how Fulham vs Manchester United settled at 1-1 at a noisy Craven Cottage, a result that keeps Ruben Amorim still waiting for his first Premier League win in charge of United.
United started brighter and almost struck early when Matheus Cunha rattled the woodwork, a warning that set the tone. Moments later they had the chance to take control from the spot, only for Fernandes to lean back and blast high over Bernd Leno’s bar. The miss lifted Fulham and brought the crowd into it, but the deadlock still broke on 58 minutes in messy fashion: Leny Yoro rose to meet Luke Shaw’s corner, the ball glanced off Rodrigo Muniz and past Leno for an own goal. Fulham pushed back hard and got their payoff in the 73rd minute, Smith Rowe drifting into space to guide in Alex Iwobi’s cut-back with the kind of calm finish the game had been missing.
The draw leaves Fulham on two points from two games and United on one, after last week’s narrow loss to Arsenal. For Amorim, the wait goes on; for Marco Silva, a point felt fair after a strong response to the setback.
Match recap, key moments, and what it means
United rolled out an adventurous XI: Altay Bayindir in goal; Luke Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt, Yoro, and Amad in a back four; Casemiro with Patrick Dorgu and captain Fernandes in midfield; and an attack of Bryan Mbeumo, Mason Mount, and Cunha. It looked bold, and for spells it worked. Cunha’s early sighter smashed the frame, Mbeumo’s wide starting position pulled Fulham’s back line around, and Shaw’s delivery from the left stayed dangerous throughout.
Fulham’s setup was familiar and pragmatic. Leno anchored a side built on the Bassey–Andersen partnership, with Kenny Tete and Timothy Castagne offering full-back industry. Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic gave ballast in midfield, Iwobi drifted cleverly between the lines, and Muniz wrestled with United’s centre-backs. From the bench, Harry Wilson and Adama Traoré added thrust, while Smith Rowe—Fulham’s record signing—gave the final action its polish.
- 10’ – Woodwork: Cunha clattered a drive off the post, with Leno beaten.
- 27’ – Penalty miss: Fernandes sent his kick over the bar after a handball decision gave United a golden chance.
- 58’ – 0-1 (OG Muniz): Yoro met Shaw’s corner, the header clipped Muniz and wrong-footed Leno. Fulham protests about a push went nowhere.
- 73’ – 1-1 (Smith Rowe): Iwobi found a pocket on the right, squared low, and Smith Rowe finished first time inside the near post.
- 85’–90+’ – Half-chances: Adama and Wilson stretched United’s full-backs, while Mount and Mbeumo probed on counters, but the final ball kept letting both sides down.
The flashpoint came on the opener. Yoro outjumped Muniz to the near post, but replays showed contact in the back as the pair challenged. Fulham’s appeals were animated; the referee stayed unmoved. In a game decided by small margins, that decision will sit high on Silva’s post-match debrief. From United’s side, it was about aggression on set pieces—Amorim’s staff celebrated the routine as a reward for repeat deliveries.
Fernandes’ miss changed the afternoon. Usually so sure from 12 yards, he went for power and lost his shape, and United’s composure wobbled for a spell. It took Shaw’s steady passing and Casemiro’s positioning to reset the visitors. When the goal came, it looked like the away side would grind it out. Instead, Fulham’s bench swung it.
Smith Rowe’s equalizer was about timing. He ghosted off the shoulder of his marker, opened his body, and guided Iwobi’s cross with minimal backlift. Nothing flashy, just clean technique and calm. It was exactly why Fulham brought him in: late runs, quick feet, and a finish under pressure. Iwobi deserved the assist—he kept finding seams between United’s full-back and centre-back, and that persistence finally paid.
Tactically, the right flank told two stories. Playing Amad as a nominal right-back gave United tempo carrying the ball out, but it also left space for Iwobi and Wilson to target. De Ligt and Yoro had to cover wide more than they’d like, and that stretched Casemiro. On the other side, Shaw’s energy was a clear plus—his overlaps pinned Tete back and fed the corner that led to the opener. Amorim’s tweak to push Dorgu higher at times created a box in midfield, but it also risked transitions when possession flipped.
Silva’s substitutions were straight to the point. Adama brought raw pace, forcing Shaw and Yoro to turn. Wilson added left-footed delivery and better set-piece quality. With Smith Rowe dropping into half-spaces, Muniz could focus on occupying defenders, which he did well aside from the cruel deflection for the own goal.
For United, there were building blocks. Yoro, still only 20, attacked the ball with conviction in the air and didn’t hide after the controversy on the goal. Mount knitted moves and pressed with energy, even if the final pass wasn’t there. Mbeumo’s work rate on the right made sense in Amorim’s system, pinning Fulham back when United regained the ball. The issue was control—too many loose touches after breaking lines, especially right after winning it back in midfield.
For Fulham, the positives stacked up as the game wore on. Leno’s calm distribution helped beat the first press. Berge and Lukic kept Fernandes from dictating the rhythm, forcing him into wider positions where United’s wide men had to take more risks. Most of all, the response to going behind was sharp. Fulham didn’t panic, they moved the ball quickly through Iwobi, and they kept asking the same question down United’s right until the equalizer finally came.
What does the draw mean? United sit on one point from two, still searching for Amorim’s first league win after last week’s narrow defeat to Arsenal. The ideas are visible—front-foot pressing, width from full-backs, overloads in the half-spaces—but the execution isn’t there for 90 minutes. Fulham, now two from two, look organized and quietly confident, with a deeper bench that can actually change games. Smith Rowe’s arrival already feels significant, not just for the goal but for the threat he adds late in matches.
There’s no crisis here for either side, just clear homework. United need cleaner decision-making in the final third and a surer structure behind their press. Fulham will want more cutting edge before the 70-minute mark, so they aren’t always chasing. If this was a snapshot of where both teams stand in late August, it hinted at a season where points will be earned by the teams that manage moments better—the penalty, the near-post duel, the one chance in the box with everything on the line.
