By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
September 21, 2026 | Premier League
Manchester United avoided another defeat at Fulham, but the bigger problem did not disappear.
Matheus Cunha’s deflected 89th-minute equaliser rescued a 1–1 draw at Craven Cottage on Sunday after a bizarre Lisandro Martínez own goal had put Fulham ahead.
The point prevented Michael Carrick’s side from suffering a third consecutive defeat in all competitions following losses to Manchester City and Brighton.
But United have now collected only five points from their opening five Premier League matches — their joint-lowest total at this stage of a Premier League season.
After returning to the Champions League last season, this was supposed to be the campaign when Manchester United took another significant step forward under Carrick.
Instead, the early evidence points to a team struggling to turn possession, chances and promising spells into victories.
Cunha Saves Manchester United at Fulham
United did enough attacking to win this game.
They registered 29 attempts, compared with Fulham’s 12, and hit the woodwork through Bruno Fernandes and Cunha. It was United’s second-highest number of shots in a Premier League away match since Opta’s records began in 2003/04.
But creating chances means little when they are not converted.
Fulham punished United shortly after the hour mark.
Calvin Bassey won possession and fired towards goal. Senne Lammens pushed the ball away, only for it to rebound off Martínez and cross the line for an unfortunate own goal.
It was exactly the type of chaotic moment that has characterised United’s difficult start.
Carrick’s players finally responded with greater urgency.
Bernd Leno made several saves before Cunha collected the ball outside the penalty area in the 89th minute and shot towards goal. A deflection wrong-footed the Fulham goalkeeper and sent the ball into the opposite corner.
United had escaped.
But they had not solved their problems.
Five Points From Five Is the Bigger Story
The table makes uncomfortable reading.
Manchester United have taken five points from five league games, matching their lowest Premier League return after five matches, previously recorded in 2014/15.
The contrast with last season is particularly striking.
Carrick won 12 of his 17 Premier League games after taking charge and guided United back into the Champions League.
This season, United are averaging only one point per Premier League game, compared with 2.3 points per game across Carrick’s 17 league matches last season.
That is why Sunday's draw cannot simply be treated as a point gained away from home.
United expected more.
The Brighton Collapse Still Hurts
The Fulham performance becomes even more concerning when viewed alongside what happened only days earlier.
United led Brighton 2–0 after just 10 minutes in their Carabao Cup tie at Old Trafford, only to lose 3–2 and crash out of the competition.
It was the first time in 50 years that Manchester United had lost at Old Trafford after establishing a two-goal lead.
We analysed that extraordinary collapse in our report on Manchester United’s 3–2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton.
United therefore entered the Fulham match needing a response.
They got one in terms of avoiding another defeat.
They did not get the convincing victory Carrick needed.
Manchester Derby Controversy Cannot Explain Everything
Before Brighton came the Manchester derby.
United lost 1–0 to Manchester City, with the winning goal subsequently becoming the centre of a major VAR debate.
Our analysis of the Manchester United vs Manchester City VAR controversy examined why United had reason to be frustrated by the decision.
But refereeing controversy cannot explain what happened against Brighton.
And it cannot explain five points from five Premier League games.
At some point, the conversation has to move from decisions outside United’s control to the problems Carrick and his players can actually fix.
Why Are United Starting Second Halves So Poorly?
One of the most worrying aspects of Sunday’s performance was what happened immediately after half-time.
United had produced enough opportunities during the opening 45 minutes to feel they could eventually take control.
Instead, Fulham emerged with greater intensity.
Former United defender Gary Neville described United’s opening 20 minutes of the second half as “pathetic,” while Cunha himself admitted Fulham began the half with more energy and said United could not accept that.
That admission matters.
This is no longer simply about tactics.
A team trying to return to the highest level cannot repeatedly require setbacks before producing its strongest football.
United reacted after Martínez’s own goal.
They reacted after falling behind.
They reacted when another defeat appeared imminent.
The question is why that urgency was not present earlier.
Twenty-Nine Shots — So Why Only One Goal?
There is at least one positive Carrick can take into the international break.
Manchester United are creating opportunities.
Twenty-nine attempts away from home would normally suggest attacking dominance.
They have also struck the woodwork six times in five league matches, more than any other Premier League team this season.
Some of that points to bad luck.
But not all of it.
United need greater composure and efficiency in the final third.
Cunha remains one of their most dangerous attacking players, and his late goal demonstrated why. But United cannot depend on an 89th-minute deflection every time their finishing lets them down.
Carrick needs goals to come more consistently from across the attack.
Pressure Is Growing on Michael Carrick
Carrick was asked after the match whether the growing noise surrounding United’s poor start concerned him.
His response focused on results rather than outside criticism.
He acknowledged that United need more points and better performances while insisting there were still encouraging signs at Craven Cottage.
That is a reasonable position five matches into a season.
There is plenty of football left.
But Manchester United operate in an environment where poor results quickly become something bigger.
Three consecutive defeats would have created significantly greater pressure on Carrick.
Cunha prevented that.
What he did not prevent was the underlying question about where United are heading.
The International Break Comes at the Right Time
United now have an opportunity to reset.
Their next Premier League match is at home against Tottenham, giving Carrick time to examine why a side that can create 29 shots still struggles to win.
He also needs to address the loss of concentration that has repeatedly hurt United.
The collapse against Brighton was not simply bad luck.
The passive start to the second half at Fulham was not simply bad luck.
Those are problems a coaching staff can work on.
The official Manchester United match report provides the club’s account of the Fulham draw, while the Premier League match centre records the result and match details.
Carrick now has to make sure the next United performance tells a different story.
Is It Too Early to Call This a Crisis?
Five league games is a small sample.
Calling United’s entire season a failure in September would be premature.
But five points from five is not a statistic Manchester United can dismiss either.
The concern comes from the pattern.
United lost a derby, surrendered a two-goal lead against Brighton and then needed a late deflection to avoid defeat against a Fulham side still searching for its first league victory under Álvaro Arbeloa.
Those results create pressure.
The encouraging part is that United are creating chances.
The worrying part is that they are not controlling matches consistently enough to turn those chances into victories.
Carrick does not need to solve Manchester United’s entire season during the international break.
But he does need to find a way of stopping a disappointing start from becoming something much more serious.
Beyond the Final Whistle, Matheus Cunha’s late equaliser may have rescued Manchester United from another damaging defeat, but it cannot disguise the bigger picture. Five points from five league matches, a painful derby defeat and a historic cup collapse have turned an optimistic start to the season into an early test of Michael Carrick’s ability to restore control.
Can Carrick use the international break to revive Manchester United’s season, or are the problems at Old Trafford becoming deeper than a temporary run of poor results? Join the conversation on Beyond the Final Whistle.
