A deflected late strike from Lisandro Martinez earned Manchester United a much-needed 1-0 victory over Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.
In search of their fourth league win since coach Ruben Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag in November, United struggled to create clear-cut chances in a lackluster first half at Craven Cottage.
The visitors improved after the break, and Martinez's long-range effort took a significant deflection before finding the net in the 78th minute, providing United with the breakthrough they desperately needed.
Young substitute Toby Collyer made a crucial goal-line clearance late on to preserve the lead, as Fulham pushed for an equalizer. The victory lifts United to 12th in the standings, four points behind 10th-placed Fulham.
\"I think I was lucky, but it's an important win,\" Martinez told TNT Sports. \"I'm happy with the way we won the game. It doesn't matter who scores—the most important thing is the three points. It means a lot, not only to the fans but for us because we have suffered a lot. It's a hard win; at this club, the pressure is high, but we are here. We know how difficult it is. Even a game like today, we have to win and be humble after winning.\"
Ruben Amorim's tenure in England has been challenging. Prior to Sunday's match, United had lost six of their previous nine league games.
In poor form, the visitors looked short of ideas in a disappointing first half. Fulham's Emile Smith Rowe had the best opportunity of the opening period but couldn't capitalize.
Captain Bruno Fernandes nearly handed United the lead early in the second half with a clever free-kick. They eventually found the net through Martinez's deflected shot—their first and only shot on target in the match.
Collyer's intervention to block Joachim Andersen's header was pivotal, and Fulham substitute Rodrigo Muniz squandered two late chances to level the score.
Amad Diallo thought he had sealed the victory in stoppage time, but his goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review.
This win marks United's eighth successive league victory at Fulham and their fourth win in their last five games across all competitions.
Reference(s):
Late Martinez strike earns Manchester United much-needed victory
cgtn.com
