Manchester United faced off against Fulham at Craven Cottage earlier tonight hoping to pick up a win and move back to the top of the Premier League table. The Red Devils made a sloppy start to the contest as they conceded an early goal when Ademola Lookman scored in the fifth minute. However, Edinson Cavani equalised for Man United in the 21st minute which eased Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s concerns. Both sides went into the half-time break with a 1-1 scoreline and with everything to play for in the second half.
Paul Pogba scored a brilliant goal in the 65th minute to put his team ahead on the night. The Mancunian outfit did enough to defend their narrow advantage and secured an impressive 2-1 victory over Scott Parker’s men.
Let’s take a look at how each Man United player fared during the match against the Cottagers.
GK: David de Gea – 7/10
The Spanish keeper made some decent saves during the game. He did enough to keep a clean sheet in the second half after shipping in an early goal.
RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 7/10
The ex-Crystal Palace full-back didn’t put a foot wrong in the game defensively but could have been more adventurous in the Fulham half.
CB: Eric Bailly – 7/10
Bailly commanded his penalty area with authority and conviction during the 90 minutes. He made some important interceptions and last-ditch clearances in the second half to see out the three points.
CB: Harry Maguire – 6.5/10
He was not shy of clearing the danger when required and will be happy after limiting the opposition to just one goal.
LB: Luke Shaw – 6.5/10
The English full-back did his job well when defending at the back and had a lively game in the attacking third where he created a couple of decent chances for his teammates.
CM: Paul Pogba – 8.5/10
The French midfield ace ran the show at the centre of the park and scored the winning goal with a world-class finish in the second half. He deserves to be named the man of the match.
CM: Fred – 7/10
Fred worked hard to help his teammates out in defence and orchestrated a few meaningful openings in the final third.
RM: Mason Greenwood – 6/10
The youngster had some bright moments in the game when he decided to drop his shoulders and run with the ball. However, he didn’t do nearly enough to get himself a goal.
CAM: Bruno Fernandes – 7/10
The Portuguese playmaker was always willing to have a shot at goal and engineered a few inviting opportunities to score in the decisive end of the field. He ended the game with an assist to his name.
LM: Anthony Martial – 6.5/10
The French attacker was a real threat for the Fulham defenders but was guilty of missing some promising chances to find the back of the net.
ST: Edinson Cavani – 7/10
The Uruguayan striker equalised for his team in the 21st minute with a calm finish. However, he hardly got a sniff at goal in the second 45 minutes.
Substitutes:
CM: Scott McTominay – N/A
He didn’t get enough time to influence the game.
ST: Marcus Rashford – N/A
Rashford added some energy and pace to the Man United frontline but didn’t get enough minutes to warrant a rating.
CM: Nemanja Matic – N/A
The Serbian international came on to run the clock down for his team.
