Martinez's Lucky Winner Lifts Manchester United to 1-0 Victory Over Fulham

Posted : 27 January 2025

Lisandro Martinez's deflected shot provided a much-needed boost for Manchester United, as they secured a 1-0 win at Fulham on Sunday, lifting some of the pressure off under-fire manager Ruben Amorim.

The match appeared set to end in a goalless draw, but in the 78th minute, Martinez’s long-range shot took a deflection off Sasa Lukic, looping over Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno and into the net. This victory marked only United's fourth win in 12 Premier League matches under Amorim, moving them up to 12th in the table.

Amorim reflected on his side's performances, suggesting that United’s best displays had come away from home, possibly due to the nerves of playing in front of an expectant crowd at Old Trafford. Despite the win, the performance against Fulham mirrored many of United's previous struggles this season under two different managers, failing to produce convincing displays against teams with much smaller budgets.

Jim Ratcliffe, United's co-owner, watched the match from the stands, though it seemed unlikely the win would offer much excitement for him, aside from dispelling fears of the club being dragged into a relegation battle.

Fulham began the match with the brighter start but lacked the penetration to make it count. Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, despite his error against Brighton the previous week, made some early saves to keep the visitors in the game.

United's first real threat came just before the hour mark when Bruno Fernandes’ clever free-kick almost caught Fulham’s defense off guard, but it narrowly missed the post. Rasmus Højlund, making his return from injury, was a quiet presence up front, failing to score in his 11th consecutive match before being replaced by Joshua Zirkzee.

The match was ultimately decided by a moment of luck rather than creativity. Martinez's shot from distance was deflected by Lukic, giving Leno no chance. Fulham came close to equalizing when Joachim Andersen had a free header from a corner, but Toby Collyer cleared it off the line.

United could have doubled their lead in stoppage time, but Amad Diallo’s goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Fulham’s defeat dampens their hopes of a European finish, as they remain in 10th place, now seven points off the top six.

Martinez's Lucky Winner Lifts Manchester United to 1-0 Victory Over Fulham

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