Fulham vs Manchester United – News and Probable Lineups

Manchester United is in a precarious situation as they face the prospect of a third consecutive defeat across all competitions this Sunday at Craven Cottage against Fulham, adding to the already familiar autumn crisis.

The Red Devils suffered a disheartening collapse, losing 3-2 to Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup midweek, while the home side managed to narrowly overcome West Ham United with the same score.

Match overview

After falling victim to one of the most disastrous VAR calls in Premier League history, Man United’s misfortunes were compounded by their self-destructive performance on Wednesday evening, leaving a visibly defeated Carrick in their midst.

In a surprising twist, Manchester United has suffered a loss at Old Trafford after going up by two goals for the first time in 50 years, relinquishing a solid lead to Brighton just one year after their humiliating exit against Grimsby Town.

While fans of the Red Devils may justifiably criticize the officiating in their recent loss to Manchester City—along with the inability of their 11 players to break down the 10 men of their rivals— the dismal display on Wednesday was solely on Carrick and his squad, who have managed only one win from four Premier League matches this season.

Moreover, just one of their six matches in all competitions has seen Carrick’s side keep a clean sheet— a 4-0 victory in the Champions League against Sabah— and Manchester United has conceded at least two goals in four of their remaining fixtures.

This unfortunate trend includes both of their away fixtures in the Premier League thus far against Hull City (2-0) and Everton (2-2), and this indicates that Manchester United might be set to record a failure in securing victories in their first three away matches in back-to-back seasons.

As Carrick’s position grows increasingly tenuous, his counterpart Alvaro Arbeloa is currently the bookmakers’ second favorite to be the first Premier League manager dismissed this season, trailing only the Red Devils’ manager.

Up until this point, Arbeloa has struggled to build upon the excellent foundation laid by Marco Silva, managing to earn just a single point from his opening four Premier League appearances, though that solitary point did come in a hard-fought goalless draw against Liverpool.

Fulham faced disappointment at not securing their first win of the season after Jeremy Jacquet cleared Gonzalo Garcia’s attempt off the goal line, but achieving a clean sheet at Anfield after conceding seven goals in their initial three league matches marks a significant step forward.

The team’s defensive frailties resurfaced midweek, yet they still advanced to the fourth round of the EFL Cup following a thrilling 3-2 win over West Ham United, courtesy of Oscar Bobb’s last-minute goal.

Nevertheless, Fulham was only able to secure a single point from a possible six against Manchester United in the last year’s Premier League, with the Red Devils remaining unbeaten in their last 10 visits to Craven Cottage since an unexpected 3-0 defeat back in December 2009.

Team News

Manchester United will be without five players: Manuel Ugarte (knee), Tom Heaton (thigh), Carlos Baleba (ankle), Matthijs de Ligt (back), and Amad Diallo (ankle) until after the international break. The only potential fitness boost for the Red Devils could be the return of Luke Shaw.

The left-back missed the matches against Manchester City and Brighton due to a minor thigh injury, which Carrick indicated should resolve within days, making his return likely over Noussair Mazraoui.

Following their bench roles in midweek, Senne Lammens, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, and Bruno Fernandes are expected to step back into the starting lineup, with Shea Lacey and Mason Mount possibly making way despite scoring in that loss.

Fulham manager Arbeloa is also facing issues with full-backs, as Kenny Tete is sidelined following concussion protocol due to a ball hitting his face at Anfield last week.

Tete joins Tom Cairney (knee) as Fulham’s two confirmed absences for gameweek five, however Ryan Sessegnon is nearing a return from a groin injury and will undergo a late fitness evaluation.

Despite scoring a goal and providing an assist at the London Stadium, Cesar Palacios is likely among several EFL Cup starters to be dropped from the starting XI as Arbeloa reverts to the lineup that contested Liverpool fiercely.

Fulham probable starting XI:

Leno; Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Bobb, King, Iwobi; Garcia

Manchester United probable starting XI:

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Two consecutive defeats for Manchester United are concerning, but the manner of these losses—having fallen to a team with 10 men and the subsequent two-goal surrender—has only intensified the anxiety surrounding Carrick’s team moving forward.

Nevertheless, the visitors still possess adequate attacking firepower to exploit Fulham’s leaky defence, and we believe Manchester United will stifle Fulham’s short-lived resurgence.