EPL: Martinez Strike Seals Manchester United's 1-0 Win Over Fulham

Lisandro Martinez scored a late, deflected goal to secure Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Fulham in the Premier League.

Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, extending their winning streak at the venue to eight consecutive Premier League matches. Despite Fulham starting the match seven points ahead of United in the standings, the first-half action suggested a closely contested encounter with little to separate the two teams.

The opening 20 minutes saw Alex Iwobi, who is enjoying his best goalscoring season to date, test Manchester United's goalkeeper Andre Onana with two low shots. However, Onana dealt with both attempts comfortably, preventing Fulham from gaining an early advantage. While there were some impressive passages of play during the first half, clear-cut chances were scarce, with neither team able to create many notable opportunities.

As the first half drew to a close, the home fans may have felt slightly more satisfied, having witnessed arguably the best chance of the half. Antonee Robinson, who has provided nine Premier League assists this season, delivered a precise pass to Raul Jimenez, who unfortunately blasted his shot over the bar from a tight angle. The interval did little to inject energy into the contest, with goalmouth action remaining limited. A low free-kick from Bruno Fernandes into the side netting was one of the few notable moments in an otherwise uneventful second half.

Three points on the road for @ManUtd! 🛣️#FULMUN pic.twitter.com/tJOImaZMZ1

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 26, 2025

The match's lack of attacking endeavour was highlighted by the fact that, with over 20 minutes played in the second half, neither team had managed a touch in the opposition's penalty area. This statistic underscored the cagey nature of the contest, with both teams struggling to create meaningful scoring opportunities. However, Manchester United's persistence eventually paid off, as a late strike from Luka Martinez secured all three points for the visitors.

Three points and a job done for Ruben Amorim's @ManUtd against Fulham ✅

Attention moves straight to Thursday's Europa League match against Steaua Bucharest, quickly followed by a meeting with Crystal Palace next Sunday pic.twitter.com/f8KOfYZzX4

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 26, 2025

Manchester United had fallen behind in eight of their previous nine league matches, but it seemed as though this encounter was destined for a goalless stalemate, particularly after Adama Traoré's wild effort off the bench. However, in a stunning turn of events, the visitors seized the lead in the 78th minute, courtesy of Lisandro Martinez's alertness and opportunism.

Martinez intercepted a poor clearance and unleashed a heavily deflected shot from distance, which ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and past Bernd Leno's outstretched fingertips. Remarkably, this was United's only attempt on target up to that point, but the traveling fans were ecstatic, chanting Ruben Amorim's name in celebration.

The match remained largely uneventful until the dying moments, when substitute Toby Collyer made a crucial intervention, clearing Joachim Andersen's header off the line. Shortly after, Rodrigo Muniz squandered two presentable opportunities to test Andre Onana. A stoppage-time goal from Amad Diallo was ultimately disallowed, but it had no bearing on the outcome, as United held on for a hard-fought victory.

The win marks United's fourth triumph in five games across all competitions and provides a much-needed boost to their morale. The victory propels Amorim's side to 12th place in the Premier League standings, four points adrift of Fulham, who remain in the top half of the table in 10th position.