Matheus Cunha rescues Manchester United with 89th-minute goal at Fulham

Matheus Cunha scored an 89th-minute equaliser to save Manchester United from a defeat that would have set alarm bells ringing at Old Trafford. Fulham had taken the lead in the second half through a bizarre Lisandro Martinez own goal, but the Brazilian's deflected strike earned a 1-1 draw. Michael Carrick can breathe again, even if his team's performance at Craven Cottage fell well short of the standard expected at the club.

• Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fulham after Cunha's late goal rescued a point.
• Lisandro Martinez scored an own goal to put Fulham ahead in the second half.
• United produced another poor display, lacking any clear attacking identity.
• Fulham moved off the bottom of the Premier League table, leaving Tottenham in last place.
• Carrick avoids an immediate crisis, but serious questions about the project remain.

Cunha's late strike masks a miserable Manchester United performance

The game appeared to be heading towards Alvaro Arbeloa's first win as Fulham manager. The home side had done the hard part, taking the lead and defending it with real intensity. Then Cunha intervened, as he has done on several occasions this season to provide rare moments of hope for the visitors.

His long-range effort clipped a defender and completely wrong-footed Senne Lammens in the Fulham goal. It was a stroke of fortune for Manchester United, a team desperately in need of a result to quieten the growing noise around the dugout. The equaliser does not erase a deeply worrying picture, though.

Lisandro Martinez own goal puts United on the back foot

The move that opened the scoring was almost accidental. An Alex Iwobi shot was deflected and the ball fell to Lisandro Martinez, whose instinctive reaction sent it back towards his own net. Lammens had already committed to the initial save and could not recover as the ball rolled past him.

It was another chapter in a difficult season for the Argentine defender, who has not recaptured the solidity he showed during his first months in England. United, who seemed to have everything falling their way last season, are now dealing with repeated moments of bad luck and self-inflicted errors.

Manchester United's attacking plan remains impossible to identify

The real concern for Carrick is not the scoreline. It is the feeling that his team has no clear idea when it comes to attacking. Moves repeatedly end with hopeful long shots or aimless crosses into an area where no striker is waiting. There is no build-up play, no rhythm, no element of surprise.

During the first half, Fulham were instantly recognisable as a team: aggressive, committed forward and determined to impose their tempo. United only found some structure when they sat deeper and looked to counter. Ironically, it was during one of those seemingly controlled spells that Martinez made his costly mistake.

Fulham and Arbeloa: intensity without reward

Arbeloa's side climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table and left Tottenham in last place heading into the international break. That is no small achievement for a Fulham team that has brought energy to nearly every match this season but has consistently struggled to see games out.

The fragility in the closing stages does not feel accidental. Fulham commit to an ambitious, sometimes reckless approach, and they pay the price for a lack of know-how when it comes to managing leads. The draw against United is a perfect example: they deserved more but walked away with a point that felt underwhelming.

What this draw means for Carrick and Manchester United going forward

Cunha's goal ensures that discussions over the next few days will not centre on a possible sacking for Carrick. Instead, the narrative can shift: perhaps this late equaliser can serve as a psychological turning point for a group that has looked tense and short on confidence.

But that should not hide the deeper issue. Manchester United do not produce convincing attacking football and their structure on the pitch looks broken. The draw at Craven Cottage does not fix any of that. It simply buys Carrick time and gives the club a three-week breathing space with the international break now underway.

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