Manchester United salvaged a dramatic 1-1 Premier League draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 20, 2026. Matheus Cunha secured the late point after a decisive deflection off David Affengruber wiped out Lisandro Martinez’s earlier own goal, sparing manager Michael Carrick from three consecutive defeats.
Craven Cottage Drama: How Cunha Snatched a Late Point for Manchester United
Relief was surely the main thing for Michael Carrick after the late escape in south-west London. Following a derby defeat against Manchester City and a Carabao Cup exit against Brighton, the Manchester United manager faced the prospect of an unwanted losing streak. Fulham looked poised to secure their first Premier League victory under Alvaro Arbeloa when Lisandro Martinez turned the ball past his own goalkeeper in the 63rd minute.
Calvin Bassey’s drive was only parried by Senne Lammens, with the ball then striking the Argentine and trickling in. Martinez scored the only goal when United won at Craven Cottage in January 2025, but this moment proved far more calamitous. United have almost always won in this corner of south-west London in recent seasons, and a crash against the team that started at the foot of the table was unthinkable. Carrick and his team averted disaster when they caught a huge break with time almost up.
Matheus Cunha
There was little on for Matheus Cunha on the edge of the area, to the left of centre, and so he took on the shot for the near corner from 25 yards out. The Fulham goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, looked to have it covered. Cue an almighty deflection off David Affengruber to send the ball spinning into the opposite corner. Affengruber threw himself in front of the Brazilian’s shot, but the deflection wrong-footed Leno as Michael Carrick’s side avoided going into the international break on the back of three straight defeats in all competitions.
Alvaro Arbeloa
United escaped as Fulham invited pressure after Martinez’s horror moment, sinking back to lack an out-ball. It did not look as though United could find the required moment of penetration, with Carrick’s players low on confidence and their moves frequently predictable. They could not get in behind in the second half, their only efforts coming from outside the area, but Cunha ultimately got one to work. There was plenty to like about Fulham, who remain a work in progress under Arbeloa. He appears to have concluded that he needs greater security in central midfield – hence Sander Berge and Shea Charles, with Alex Iwobi out to the left wing. There were round pegs in round holes for Fulham, which was not completely the case for United, albeit they were able to welcome back Luke Shaw on the left side.
A Record-Breaking First Half and Missed Chances
Before the second-half chaos, though both sides started tentatively, the opening 45 minutes eventually caught fire as the teams combined for 26 shots – a Premier League record (since Opta data began in 2003-04) for a first half that did not see a goal. Martinez’s swerving volley was clawed away from the top-right corner by Leno, before Bruno Fernandes somehow side-footed against the post when Cunha bustled to the byline and put the ball on a plate for him. Fulham enjoyed a dominant spell midway through the opening period, with Senne Lammens making a trio of fine saves. He touched Sander Berge’s effort around his right-hand post, got a crucial touch to Josh King’s powerful drive, then rushed out to smother Alex Iwobi’s attempted lob.
Senne Lammens
At the other end, Cunha’s shot took a wicked deflection and almost dipped into the far corner, with Leno having to stay alert, while Marcus Rashford was wasteful on two occasions – stroking straight at the Fulham goalkeeper from his first chance, then lifting over from the second. Leno also made two saves to deny Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha, the first of which was a magnificent diving stop to his right, as Fulham inched closer to their first three points of the campaign before the cruel late twist.
Table Pressures and Upcoming Fixtures Before the International Break
The draw leaves both clubs searching for consistency as the Premier League pauses for international fixtures. Fulham has yet to win in Premier League play through four matches, and barely managed to beat Championship side West Ham in their Carabao Cup third round match last time out, needing a late winner to seal a 3-2 victory. Fulham has won just 14 times and tied 22 times across 92 matches against Manchester United, who have historically won 56 games in this fixture.
fubo and Peacock
For Manchester United, the fixture kicked off at 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET) on Sunday, September 20 at Craven Cottage in London, England, airing exclusively to stream live on fubo and Peacock, as well as on NBC and Telemundo. While the late strike preserved an unbeaten historical record where the Red Devils have lost just one of their last 20 meetings against the Whites with 15 wins and four draws in that span, questions surrounding the team’s performances under Carrick will persist as domestic play pauses.
