Cunha saves Manchester United with late goal vs Fulham

Matheus Cunha turned into the rescuer for Manchester United, scoring in the 89th minute after his shot took a decisive deflection and beat Bernd Leno. At Craven Cottage, Michael Carrick’s side arrived under pressure following the Manchester City derby loss from the previous Sunday and a midweek Carabao Cup exit to Brighton.

Trouble after the own goal

The match started badly for United: an own goal by Lisandro Martínez gave Fulham hope of their first Premier League win under Álvaro Arbeloa. From there, Fulham pushed into a more cautious rhythm, dropping back and trying to squeeze the space in behind—while United struggled to find the necessary penetration. Their build-up often became too predictable, and the late equaliser was far from guaranteed.

The Guardian reports that with time almost up, there was little for Cunha to aim for inside the area—so he took a shot toward the near corner. Leno looked set to stop it, but the attempt deflected off David Affengruber, sending the ball into the opposite side.

Fulham progress, United still wobble

Fulham’s performance offered positives even in the draw: the article presents them as a work in progress, but with clearer defensive structure and intent to compete. United were also missing Benjamin Sesko due to injury, leaving Carrick to use Cunha as a false nine and have Bruno Fernandes play close to him.

United still did not look fully equipped to break down a compressed block, and the late drama papered over deeper issues. But for tonight at least, Cunha ensured Carrick’s side avoided the worst outcome—exactly when the match demanded it, as detailed by The Guardian.