The matchup between Manchester United and Fulham was anticipated to be among the most predictable in English football.

Since 2003, the London club had not triumphed at Old Trafford. Over the course of the previous eighteen meetings in all competitions, United had emerged victorious 15 times and held a draw in the remaining three meetings. Fulham had only achieved an away victory in 2023-24, triumphing over Everton on the opening weekend. In the Premier League, no outcome is ever assured. Although Erik ten Hag compared United’s remaining 2024 matches to a championship, few anticipated that a visit from Marco Silva’s squad would pose as much of a threаt as visits from Jurgen Klopp in April or Mikel Arteta in May.

United’s aspirations to qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League have been significantly undermined following a 2-1 loss that brought to light their numerous enduring challenges.

A counterattacking exchange in the initial half resulted in Calvin Bassey netting the game’s first goal in the 65th minute by capitalizing on lax corner defense. The 96th-minute strike by Alex Iwobi would rank as the second-latest game-winning goal in Premier League history against Manchester United. It was devastating to see Adama Traore breeze past Christian Eriksen and Harry Maguire in order to create the opening goal. The reaction of conceded goalkeeper Alejandro Garnacho, who collapsed to the ground, was illuminating.

United finished the match with a higher xG (1.67 vs. 1.11) and nine more shots on target (nine to Fulham’s five), but that was largely attributable to a seven-minute rally that culminated in Fulham’s goal following Maguire’s 89th-minute equalizer. They were inactive for the majority of Saturday’s events; Casemiro’s early departure in the second half with a head ιnjury further confounded a starting XI comprised of square pegs in round holes.

“Much was lost in the absence of Casemiro.” Ten Hag remarked, “We lost some stability in the lineup and conceded a very avoidable goal prior to mounting a comeback.” “I must give the team credit; they demonstrated remarkable character.” “We then began to pursue victory, but ultimately allowed them to escape.”

Despite the fact that the United manager urged supporters to “see the bigger picture” and not fixate on the outcome, his squad is approaching a precarious situation. Ten Hag has maintained that his team’s subpar performance this season has been hindered by injuries; however, he seems unwilling or unable to alter a tactical configuration that exposes them to counterattacks.

United’s pressuring structure is inadequate; even when the squad is at full vigor, opponents can easily circumvent it. United desires to аttаck quickly, but their imprecise passing results in frequent ball loss in the final third. They have no desire to exert control over games and frequently possess a permeable defense. One hundred shots have been conceded in each of the previous five contests. They maintain their sixth position in the league standings, a point with no goal differential.