Manchester United Kicks Off Premier League with a Win Over Fulham
Manchester United secured a 1-0 victory against Fulham in the opening game of the Premier League season. Lisandro Martínez started the match, while Garnacho came off the bench in the second half. The narrow win was sealed by a late goal from Joshua Zirkzee, thanks to an assist from Alejandro Garnacho, just minutes before the final whistle. This marked a strong start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign for United, who secured all three points at Old Trafford.
The winning goal came courtesy of Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee, just four minutes before the end, after Garnacho, who came on as a substitute, delivered a perfect pass. However, United’s first appearance of the season wasn’t smooth sailing. Fulham put up a tough fight, and at times, the game seemed like it could turn against the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Lisandro Martínez, who played the entire 90 minutes, made a crucial last-ditch clearance in the second half to deny Fulham a potential goal on a dangerous counterattack.
Manager Erik ten Hag’s substitutions made the difference: 15 minutes into the second half, he brought on Garnacho and Zirkzee, two recent signings from Bologna, Italy. In the 86th minute, Garnacho’s cross from the right found the Dutch forward, who slotted the ball past Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno, giving United a hard-earned 1-0 lead.
In added time, Pecheto had a golden chance to wrap up the game with a second goal, but he missed an open net, keeping the scoreline tight until the final whistle. Regardless, United held on, and the three points stayed at Old Trafford. Manchester United now turns their attention to their upcoming match against Brighton.
Manchester United vs. Fulham: Live Coverage and Key Moments
17:49 – Full-Time: Manchester United secures a 1-0 win over Fulham, with Joshua Zirkzee’s late goal making the difference.
17:46 – Fulham Substitution: Sasa Lukic comes off, replaced by Jay Stansfield.
17:45 – Fulham Substitution: Andreas Pereira exits, and Harrison Reed takes his place.
17:41 – Goal! Joshua Zirkzee scores for Manchester United, assisted by Garnacho. United leads 1-0.
17:38 – Man United Substitution: Kobbie Mainoo is substituted for Scott McTominay.
17:35 – Man United Substitutions: Noussair Mazraoui exits for Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire comes off for Jonny Evans.
17:32 – Fulham Substitutions: Rodrigo Muniz comes off for Raúl Jiménez, and Adama Traoré is replaced by Harry Wilson.
17:30 – Corner Kick Fulham: Fulham wins a corner, with Andreas Pereira stepping up to take it.
17:27 – Yellow Card: Fulham’s Tom Cairney receives a yellow card, making it the third Fulham player to be booked.
17:24 – Yellow Card: Andreas Pereira of Fulham gets a yellow card, adding to Fulham’s cautions tally.
17:23 – Corner Kick United: Bruno Fernandes sends in a corner for United.
17:17 – Fulham Substitution: Emile Smith Rowe comes off, replaced by Tom Cairney.
17:14 – Man United Substitutions: Mason Mount makes way for Joshua Zirkzee, and Amad Diallo is replaced by Alejandro Garnacho.
17:10 – Corner Kick United: Bruno Fernandes prepares to take another corner for United.
17:04 – Corner Kick Fulham: Fulham wins a corner, with Andreas Pereira taking responsibility for the delivery.
17:00 – Second Half Begins: Manchester United and Fulham restart the match with the score still 0-0.
16:46 – Halftime: Both sides head into the break level, with the score at 0-0.
16:40 – Yellow Card: Harry Maguire of United is booked. Manchester United now has two players on yellow cards.
16:36 – Corner Kick United: Amad Diallo delivers another corner for Manchester United.
16:24 – Yellow Card: Fulham’s Calvin Bassey receives a yellow card, bringing Fulham’s tally to one.
16:17 – Yellow Card: Mason Mount gets a yellow card, making him the first Manchester United player to be booked.
16:13 – Corner Kick Fulham: Andreas Pereira steps up to take another corner for Fulham.
16:00 – Kickoff: The match between Manchester United and Fulham kicks off at Old Trafford in the first round of the Premier League season.
Starting Lineups
Manchester United:
GK: André Onana
DF: Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Noussair Mazraoui
MF: Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, Amad Diallo, Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes
FW: Marcus Rashford
Subs: Altay Bayındır, Matthijs de Ligt, Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay, Toby Collyer, Joshua Zirkzee, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Fulham:
GK: Bernd Leno
DF: Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson
MF: Sasa Lukic, Emile Smith Rowe, Adama Traoré, Andreas Pereira, Alex Iwobi
FW: Rodrigo Muniz
Subs: Steven Benda, Jorge Cuenca, Timothy Castagne, Harrison Reed, Joshua King, Tom Cairney, Harry Wilson, Jay Stansfield, Raúl Jiménez
Manager: Marco Silva
Premier League Table Update
Before this match, the standings in the Premier League were still in the opening stages, with all teams yet to claim points. The race for the top of the table is just beginning!
Top Teams: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Match Venue
The match was played at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s home ground.
Referee
The referee for this fixture was Robert Jones.
Broadcast Information
The game was broadcast live on Disney+, Disney+ Premium, and ESPN, with kickoff at 4:00 PM local time.
That’s the full coverage of Manchester United’s victory over Fulham in the Premier League opener. The Red Devils will now look ahead to their next match against Brighton.