OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Alex Iwobi’s goal in injury time earned Fulham its only Old Trafford victory since 1963, giving Manchester United a sobering wake-up call.
United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were severely damaged four days after new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe declared that the team would try to unseat Manchester City and Liverpool from their dominant positions in the English game.
The hosts were unable to mount an offensive until the very last minute of normal time, when Harry Maguire appeared to have salvaged a point for the team despite the absence of injured attacker Rasmus Hojlund.
But Iwobi had the final say deep into nine minutes of stoppage time, restoring an advantage initially given to them by Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey, who lashed home the loose ball after his header from a Fulham corner had been blocked by team-mate Timothy Castagne.
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The result ended a run of 11 Premier League away games without a win for the west London outfit. Prior to this contest, only Sheffield United had a worse top-flight away record this term.
Neither the defeat nor, more importantly, the performance, will give anyone the belief United will achieve Ratcliffe’s lofty aims any time soon.
In exploiting the space available in front of the United backline in transition, Fulham were given the freedom to get clear sights of goal.
Iwobi had two opportunities, the second in particular he should have done better with. Andre Onana saved from Rodrigo Muniz and former United midfielder Andreas Pereira. The Cameroon keeper probably earned his luck in the first instance, when the rebound struck Sasa Lukic at close range and the ball bounced inches wide.
Muniz, aiming to become the fourth Fulham player – after Louis Saha, Collins John and Manor Solomon – to score in four successive Premier League games, rolled Lindelof in the penalty area, then fired against the outside of a post with Onana beaten.
At the interval, the fear among the visiting contingent must have been that, after being so flat for so long, their hosts had to improve.
But they didn’t and Bassey lashed home his first Fulham goal with a decisiveness lacking from United’s play.
Even after Maguire’s leveller, Fulham would not be denied as Iwobi finally found the target to give the Cottagers a famous win.
BBC SPORT