Manchester United head to winless Fulham looking to change the script

Setembro 20, 2026 lojamais44@gmail.com

By Filip Mishov

Both managers desperately need a win to ease off the pressure

Fulham remain on the hunt for their maiden Premier League victory this season, but Álvaro Arbeloa‘s squad did book a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round with a midweek win against West Ham at the London Stadium. Despite the Cottagers struggling for results (1D, 3L) and sitting bottom of the table following earlier results this weekend, at the start of the campaign, Fuham rank highly both for touches in the opposition box and total distance run – they led in both statistics going in this matchday. However, Arbeloa questioned the defence following the match against the Hammers, havinf conceded seven times after four rounds played in the top flight.

Brighton & Hove Albion deepened the mini-crisis at Old Trafford, as Manchester United squandered a two-goal lead and lost after being ahead by two goals for the first time since 1976, which resulted in an early Carabao Cup exit for the second consecutive season. Furthermore, the lethargic second-half performance left Michael Carrick shell-shocked at full time, with the squad’s uninspiring body language raising additional concerns ahead of their trip to London. On a more positive note, the Red Devils are unbeaten (8W, 2D) at Craven Cottage since 2009 and will be hoping to get back on the winning track prior to the extended international break.

Key players

Joshua King is both the London club’s present and future at the same time, and Arbeloa is entrusting the 19-year-old with a lot of freedom to roam behind the striker, something which is paying dividends for now. The England U21 international is the highest-rated player in the squad, averaging a FotMob rating of 7.27 and is the only player to have scored more than on league goal (he has two). Also, no player has covered more distance (45 km) among his teammates, which speaks volumes about his commitment all over the pitch.

Lisandro Martínez is yet to hit top form this season, but after Ayden Heaven‘s subpar performance against the Seagulls and with Luke Shaw‘s injury troubles, the Argentina international remains the most important left-footed defender in the squad. The 28-year-old is expected to be tasked with stabilising a defence which is yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League, and additionally, play a role in the build-up play going forward as well.

Team news

Álvaro Arbeloa rotated the squad in the Carabao Cup and Bernd Leno, Calvin Bassey and Sander Berge are expected to return to the starting XI, while Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney will be the only absentees.

A lot of changes are expected in United’s starting lineup after their midweek troubles, but Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo are injured and Luke Shaw’s status is doubtful.

Prediction

The Cottagers are not playing as badly as the Premier League table suggests, but the points count in football, and with both clubs in desperate need of a win, I believe a close encounter is on the cards. I expect Fulham to get a positive result, a draw or a win, as I do not see how Michael Carrick can lift his underperforming players’ confidence off the floor in such a short span of time.