The good, the bad, the ugly: all sides of United on display as they edge past Fulham in Old Trafford classic

Manchester United pulled off a dramatic 3-2 win over Fulham at Old Trafford in what was an intense showdown. While the visitors did well to claw their way back from a 2-0 deficit, Man United showed grit and determination to see them off with a dramatic late winner. First half In the fifth minute, Amad Diallo did well to cut into the box and force a save from the goalkeeper with a fiery shot.Ten minutes in, Bryan Mbeumo appeared to be on goal before being taken down by Jorge Cuenca in the box. Despite looking like a foul, the referee determined that he got the ball without foul play, meaning no penalty was given. Moments later, Fulham were on the attack, with Senne Lammens being compelled to make a superb save to deny a close-range header from Cuenca, which fell to Emile Smith-Rowe, who attempted to tap the ball in. In the 16th minute, United were awarded a penalty. This time, Matheus Cunha was pulled down by Cuenca. Unfortunately, VAR overruled the on-field decision. Instead, a free-kick outside the box was awarded. United made the most of this set piece, with Bruno Fernandes thumping in a surgical cross to Casemiro, who headed the ball into the net to send Old Trafford into hysterics. Six minutes from the break, Alex Iwobi took a long-range effort that was hurtling toward the bottom left corner. Fortunately for United, Lammens was perfectly positioned to make the save. In the 42nd minute, Joachim Andersen fouled Mbeumo to hand United another opportune free kick. Fernandes’ cross was threatening, but the defence dealt with it. Kobbie Mainoo did well to dispossess Iwobi in the middle of the park to turn over possession impressively. Unfortunately, he was fouled, which caused a break in play. As the half-time whistle blew, Michael Carrick had plenty of reason to feel satisfied with his team’s performance. The hosts appeared composed and in control for most of the match, earning a one-goal lead to head into the break with the advantage. Second half Just three minutes after the restart, Diogo Dalot slotted a through ball to Mbeumo, who beat his marker only for the keeper to save his chipped effort on goal.In the 49th minute, United came close to losing their lead when a ball from Samuel Chukwueze swept across the face of the goal, although Lisandro Martinez did well to clear it out of danger. Six minutes later, Cunha doubled United’s lead with a thunderous strike into the roof of the net. The Brazilian was picked out by countryman Casemiro, after which Cunha struck his powerful shot hard and true with his first touch. In the 64th minute, Casemiro made the mistake of pulling Smith-Rowe to the ground to hand them a dangerous free-kick. He received a yellow card for his efforts. The visitors pulled a goal back with what was a very scrappy goal. While the free kick struck the wall, the loose ball fell to Chukwueze, who passed the ball to Cuenca. Due to suspicions of an offside, VAR reviewed the goal, ruling that Fulham were indeed offside. As a result, United maintained their 2-0 lead. With 19 minutes left on the clock, United were putting on the pressure yet again, with Mainoo taking a shot from outside the box that was blocked by a defender. Moments later, Dalot laid the ball off to Cunha on the edge of the box, who floated his shot over the crossbar. Cunha then came off for Benjamin Sesko, while Casemiro made way for Manuel Ugarte. With his first touch of the ball, Sesko almost scored as he headed a cross from Amad onto the upright. While the rebound fell back to him, he punted the ball over the top. Fulham received a corner with 13 minutes to play. Lammens did well to punch the ball out of danger. Ten minutes from time, Raul Jimenez got on the end of a cross, using his chest to control the ball before striking it at goal. Lammens did well to stop his effort, with Harry Maguire unable to keep up with the Fulham striker. Yet again, Jimenez got on the end of the ball a few minutes later, with Lammens stopping him yet again. Unfortunately for Maguire, he was adjudged to have fouled the Mexican, handing the visitors a penalty while picking up a booking. While Lammens dived the right way, he was unable to stop the shot from Jimenez. 2-1 the score was with a little over five minutes to play. After the restart, Carrick decided to take off Dalot for Noussair Mazraoui. A colossal nine minutes of stoppage time were awarded, meaning United would still need to hold for a while longer in order to secure the win. Just two minutes into the added time, United’s lead was eviscerated. Kevin cut into the box and drilled the ball into the far corner of the net, out of Lammens’ reach. Then, just as it seemed as if Fulham were back in it, Sesko pulled off a wonderous strike to restore United’s lead. Sesko took a touch before swivelling and slamming the ball into the top right corner, way out of the keeper’s reach. As the match resumed, Leny Yoro came on for Mbeumo, with Carrick clearly looking to safeguard United’s newly-restored lead. While it may not have been pretty, United did well to secure the three points, which was the most important thing at the end of the day. That makes three wins from three for Michael Carrick. Starting XI: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Amad, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo Subs: Sesko, Ugarte, Mazraoui, Yoro Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.