Manchester United earned 1 point from a last-gasp equalizer away at Fulham on September 20.
But the 1-1 draw was less a starting point for a turnaround than a match that once again confirmed their poor results early in the season.
We examine why this match, which included an equalizer and a penalty controversy, left a heavier impression.
3-Line Summary
1. Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fulham
2. They have 5 points from 5 matches and are 12th in the league
3. The equalizer did not erase their poor start
A 63rd-Minute Own Goal and an Equalizer Finally Arriving in the 89th Minute
Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fulham in the 5th round of the English Premier League. The match was played at Craven Cottage in London, and Manchester United fell behind first when Lisandro Martínez scored an own goal in the 63rd minute.
Manchester United were considered to have controlled the match, but it took them a long time to turn that control into a goal. Matheus Cunha scored the equalizer in the 89th minute to avoid defeat. detiksport reported that Cunha’s shot changed direction before going into Fulham’s goal.
The equalizer in the final moments changed the result of one match, but it did not lead to a victory. Manchester United had also failed to win their previous two matches and, with this draw added, remained winless in 3 consecutive matches.
What 5 Points from 5 Matches Means for the Record
After this draw, Manchester United’s record stood at 5 points from 5 matches, leaving them 12th in the league. CNN Indonesia and detiksport reported that this was Manchester United’s lowest points total after their first 5 matches of a Premier League season.
The comparison is the 2014-2015 season. Manchester United were also reportedly 12th with 5 points after 5 matches at that time. The key point of this record is not simply that their position is low. More directly, they have dropped 10 of the 15 points available from the first five matches of the season.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick said after the match that the team continued to apply pressure in the final stages and that he was satisfied with the way they finished. This is the manager’s assessment of the match and needs to be distinguished from a confirmed result that the team’s poor form has been resolved.
Why Was the 86th-Minute Handball Appeal Not Accepted?
Manchester United had an important moment even before the equalizer. After a pass from Martínez in the 86th minute, there was an appeal for a penalty on the grounds that the ball had struck Fulham defender Calvin Bassey’s hand. However, referee Peter Bankes allowed play to continue.
According to Goal.com, the Premier League explained the decision through a post on the match centre’s X account and the referee conversation transcript. VAR judged that Bassey’s arm was close to his body and confirmed the on-field decision to “play on.”
There is no basis for definitively stating that this was the decisive call that cost Manchester United 3 points. However, in a match that ended in a draw, the team looked for a chance to turn the result around until the end, and the decision remained unchanged. What Manchester United were left with was not so much a dramatic draw as the fact that they had repeated their lowest early-season points record.
References
Tags #ManchesterUnited #ManUnited #Fulham #ManUnitedFulham #PremierLeague #CravenCottage #MatheusCunha #LisandroMartínez #MichaelCarrick #VAR #Penalty #EnglishFootball