Manchester United Wins Premier League Opener: Manchester United got off to a winning start in the 2024/25 Premier League season by defeating Fulham 1-0 in a close game as debutant Joshua Zirkzee scored on debut.
The Red Devils are coming off of a bittersweet 2023/24 season. While the team had their worst PL finish in eighth, they did win the FA Cup, defeating Manchester City in the final. Despite a trophy, it was somewhat of a disaster season for Erik Ten Hag’s boys.
Before this season, there had been a lot of shuffling and optimism for United. The team has made some positive signings as their fans are optimistic about what might be the start of a project that will bring another Premier League title to Old Trafford in a few years.
But with all that optimism, there is some doubt regarding the club’s upcoming season. While yes, the team is looking good, United fans have seen such progress before only for it to not amount to much.
With all that in the background, Man U kicked off the PL season at the Old Trafford against Fulham. This was a cagey encounter. And while the boys from Manchester took the three points in the end, this performance might not be the best sign for the season to come.
While United has signed many new players this summer, including Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt and Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee, only one newly signed player started the match, that being full-back Noussair Mazraoui.
Manchester United Wins Premier League Opener
In the early proceedings, the home side dominated possession but failed to convert it into any big chances. United’s first great chance came off of Bruno Fernandes, whose low shot was saved by goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
In the 40th minute, Harry Maguire brought some humour into the game, diving into the opposition box with Emile Smith Rowe in the vicinity. This was clearly not a foul by the Fulham defender. And so, Maguire was shown a yellow card for simulating.
The team from Manchester got off to an attacking start in the second half, looking to create chances in the first 15 minutes. The best chance came in the 53rd minute, again off of the foot of Fernandes from close range, only to be saved by Leno.
In the 61st minute, Mason Mount, who was not looking too good on the field, was substituted for Zirkzee while Alejandro Garnacho was brought in, which was an attacking move by Ten Hag.
The Fulham defence was happy with their deep press, depending on Adama Traore’s pace to create counters.
In the 81st minute, United shuffled around their back line, bringing in Matthijs de Ligt for his PL debut. The Dutch defender looked solid for all the time he spent on the pitch on his debut.
And then it came. All the pressure Manchester United had created for the whole game finally amounted to something. In the 87th minute, Garnacho drove the ball down the flank and hoofed a low cross into the box, which found who else but Joshua Zirkzee, who slotted the ball into the net with a fantastic one-touch finish, 1-0.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Manchester United got arguably the best chance of the game. Marcus Rashford barreled through the Fulham defence and passed the ball to Garnacho, who, with an empty goal ahead of him, dragged the ball down the side. And with that, the match ended in a United victory.
While a win is a win, a cagey game against relegation contenders Fulham is not a good look for a team that is coming off of its worst Premier League season. With that being said, they showed solid defence and good attacking potential in this game. However, their finishing could use some work.
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