Fulham 0-1 Man Utd: Player ratings as Martinez earns Red Devils unconvincing win
- Man Utd were reliant on Lisandro Martinez's deflected strike to beat Fulham
- Centre-back broke the deadlock in the 78th minute
- Both sides struggled to make an impact during a dull affair
Lisandro Martinez's deflected effort helped Manchester United secure an unconvincing 1-0 win over Fulham on Sunday evening as they managed a second Premier League victory of 2025.
A dreary first half at Craven Cottage conjured little in the way of excitement, with a combined expected goals total of 0.42 flattering both sides. Fulham offered the brighter moments without working Andre Onana often but Alex Iwobi did test the goalkeeper with two tame efforts - the highlights of an incredibly low-key affair.
Things didn't get much better after the break as both teams continued to look disjointed and unconvincing in the final third. Bruno Fernandes' clever but ultimately wayward free-kick drew several gasps from the crowd, but there was little else to motivate either set of supporters for the first 75 minutes.
However, an enormous slice of luck eventually broke the deadlock and had the travelling fans smiling for the first time. Martinez let fly from 25 yards and the defender's strike took a sizeable deflection off the unfortunate Sasa Lukic before looping into the top corner.
Fulham applied pressure in the closing stages as they sought an equaliser and Joachim Andersen came close to securing a draw - the centre-back's near-post header impressively cleared off the line by substitute Toby Collyer.
Amad Diallo thought he had added some gloss to the scoreline as he found the back of the net in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but VAR eventually ruled the Ivorian's effort out for offside. In the end, it mattered little as United held on for an important victory.
Fulham player ratings (4-2-3-1)
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
GK: Bernd Leno | 5.6/10 |
RB: Timothy Castagne | 6.7/10 |
CB: Joachim Andersen | 7.2/10 |
CB: Calvin Bassey | 7.2/10 |
LB: Antonee Robinson | 7.0/10 |
DM: Sasa Lukic | 6.8/10 |
DM: Sander Berge | 6.9/10 |
RW: Harry Wilson | 6.2/10 |
AM: Emile Smith Rowe | 5.8/10 |
LW: Alex Iwobi | 6.2/10 |
ST: Raul Jimenez | 6.4/10 |
SUB: Adama Traore (53' for Wilson) | 6.4/10 |
SUB: Rodrigo Muniz (64' for Jimenez) | 5.7/10 |
SUB: Andreas Pereira (83' for Smith Rowe) | N/A |
SUB: Tom Cairney (83' for Lukic) | N/A |
Subs not used: Steven Andreas-Benda (GK), Issa Diop, Jorge Cuenca, Harrison Reed, Joshua King.
Man Utd player ratings (3-4-2-1)
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
GK: Andre Onana | 7.9/10 |
CB: Matthijs de Ligt | 6.9/10 |
CB: Harry Maguire | 7.5/10 |
CB: Lisandro Martinez | 8.2/10 |
RM: Diogo Dalot | 7.3/10 |
CM: Manuel Ugarte | 7.4/10 |
CM: Bruno Fernandes | 7.1/10 |
LM: Noussair Mazraoui | 6.7/10 |
RF: Amad Diallo | 6.9/10 |
ST: Rasmus Hojlund | 5.8/10 |
LF: Alejandro Garnacho | 6.7/10 |
SUB: Joshua Zirkzee (58' for Hojlund) | 5.8/10 |
SUB: Leny Yoro (58' for De Ligt) | 6.7/10 |
SUB: Toby Collyer (76' for Ugarte) | 6.6/10 |
SUB: Kobbie Mainoo (81' for Garnacho) | N/A |
SUB: Tyrell Malacia (81' for Mazraoui) | N/A |
Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Victor Lindelof, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen.
Player of the match - Lisandro Martinez (Man Utd)
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