Lisandro Martinez’s deflected goal provided a much-needed victory for Manchester United, as they defeated Fulham 1-0 on Sunday. The win offers some relief for under-pressure manager Ruben Amorim, marking United's fourth Premier League victory in 12 matches and lifting them to 12th place in the standings.
The match, described as lackluster, appeared destined to end in a draw until Martinez's shot in the 78th minute deflected off Sasa Lukic and sailed over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Amorim noted that United's best performances have often come on the road, attributing this to the pressure of playing at home in front of a demanding crowd at Old Trafford. However, the performance against Fulham resembled many of the team's lackluster displays this season, which have occurred under two different managers against less financially robust opponents.
Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, who watched the match in west London, found little to excite him, but the victory alleviates fears that United could be drawn into a relegation battle.
Fulham began the match with more energy but struggled to create significant scoring opportunities throughout the game. United goalkeeper Andre Onana, returning after a previous error, made early saves to deny Fulham's Alex Iwobi. United's first real threat came from Bruno Fernandes, whose free-kick narrowly missed the target.
Amorim made five changes to the lineup from the team's recent Europa League win over Rangers, including the return of Rasmus Hojlund. However, Hojlund continued his goal drought, failing to make an impact before being substituted.
Fulham’s Adama Traore also came close to scoring but could not find the target. The match's only goal came from Martinez's long-range effort, which was fortuitously deflected into the net.
Fulham had a chance to equalize late in the game when Joachim Andersen was given a free header from a corner, but Toby Collyer managed to clear the ball off the line. United might have added a second goal in stoppage time, but Amad Diallo's strike was ruled offside following a VAR review.
The result was similar to the teams' previous encounter at the start of the season, where a single goal secured victory for United. The defeat leaves Fulham in 10th place, seven points adrift of the European qualification spots.
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