In a rematch from the inaugural fixture of the 2024-25 Premier League season, Fulham and Manchester United renew hostilities at Craven Cottage on Sunday evening.
The Red Devils opened the curtain on the campaign by sinking Marco Silva's men 1-0 at Old Trafford in August, but the Cottagers head into the weekend's battle seven points better off in the top-flight standings.
Match preview
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Joshua Zirkzee's debut Premier League goal to see off a dogged Fulham side feels like a long time ago now for Man United, whose delayed decision to give Erik ten Hag the boot and hire the much-coveted Ruben Amorim is yet to truly bear fruit.
Last weekend's battle of the juvenile head coaches saw 39-year-old Amorim conquered by 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler, as the latter's Brighton & Hove Albion side left Old Trafford with a merited 3-1 victory to their name, subjecting Man United to a torturous 10th loss of the top-flight season in the process.
Entering the gameweek in a lowly 13th place in the table, Man United could drop as low as 15th spot if they fail to take care of business and results elsewhere do not go their way, and they also remain closer to the relegation zone than the top seven points-wise.
An unwanted personal record would be set for Amorim should the Red Devils come up short on Sunday, as the Portuguese has already suffered six top-flight losses since taking the Old Trafford reins; never in his embryonic managerial career has he lost seven league matches in a single campaign.
However, Sunday's visitors received a Bruno Fernandes-sized shot in the arm on Thursday evening, as Amorim's captain produced a heroic late intervention to sink Rangers in the Europa League, thus propelling the Red Devils to their third victory from their last four games in all tournaments.
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Also harbouring realistic aspirations of competing in Europe's second-tier tournament next season, Fulham endeavour to slay Manchester United present after defeating Manchester United past last weekend, making light work of Ruud van Nistelrooy's Leicester City.
Emile Smith Rowe's brave diving header and Adama Traore's strike saw Fulham earn their first Premier League success of 2025 at the third time of asking, having previously come out on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline at West Ham United after a four-goal stalemate with Ipswich Town.
However, that reverse to the Hammers represents the Cottagers' only loss from their last 11 games in all tournaments, a steady sequence that has allowed them to cement a place in the top half of the Premier League standings, only four points shy of seventh-placed Bournemouth heading into the weekend.
Thanks to Smith Rowe and Traore's efforts at the King Power, Silva's men have now struck two goals in each of their last five Premier League matches, but converting one point into three is not always their forte; each of the hosts' last four top-flight home games has been drawn.
A stalemate would still be an improvement on Fulham's recent Craven Cottage results against Man United, who have triumphed on each of their last seven Premier League visits to the Cottagers' turf, last succumbing to defeat in 2009 when Damien Duff, Bobby Zamora and Danny Murphy were on the scoresheet.
Team News
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Man United's midweek success over Rangers came at a considerable cost defensively, as neither Matthijs de Ligt nor Leny Yoro made it to the hour mark, and Amorim could not guarantee that the pair would be fit for Sunday when questioned in his pre-game press conference.
Mason Mount (leg), Jonny Evans (muscle) and Luke Shaw (hamstring) are still unavailable, but Victor Lindelof is back in training, while Noussair Mazraoui is expected to make the cut after sitting out the Europa League win as a precaution.
The Moroccan might be required in Amorim's back three as opposed to his favoured wing-back role if neither Yoro nor De Ligt are given the green light to feature, while Andre Onana should displace Altay Bayindir in goal, despite making his third error leading to a goal of the season in the Brighton beating.
Meanwhile, it is as you were in the Fulham infirmary, as only Dutch defender Kenny Tete (knee) and Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson (hamstring) are absent for the hosts this week.
Midfield fulcrum Sasa Lukic is walking a tightrope, though, as one more booking would bring up 10 for the season and a subsequent two-game ban, ruling him out of contests with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Tom Cairney, Harrison Reed and 18-year-old protege Josh King are all alternative options in the centre, but the only change Silva might consider is out wide, where Traore is pushing to displace Alex Iwobi after doing so at half time against Leicester.
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Traore; Jimenez
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
We say: Fulham 2-2 Manchester United
Clean sheet-less in 13 games across all competitions, Man United's defensive efforts are likely to prove futile against a Fulham side averaging 1.6 goals per game, their best in a Premier League season on record.
Silva's side can still get caught out inside their own defensive third, though, and we expect the stalemate specialists to play out another one-pointer of the thrilling variety, as Amorim avoids that unprecedented seventh league loss for now.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
