United's midfield woes allow Fulham fight back

A new season for Manchester United, but old problems remain. In contrary to the relative optimism of last week's defeat to Arsenal, a timid performance in a 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage leaves more questions than answers.

- CHRIS WILSON

So much has happened since the chastening night in Bilbao, not least the arrival of three marquee signings and a spend of over £200m. And yet this was a performance that was eerily similar to those at the tail-end of last season, even if a couple of players offered some real promise in parts.

This corner of southwest London has been a difficult place to come for several big clubs in recent seasons, but what might be seen as an okay result in other circumstances is simply another poor result for Ruben Amorim's side.

For while Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty and Matheus Cunha will leave thinking he should have had a brace, the reality remains that United now have one loss and one draw to open the 2025-26 season.

Not only that, but the only goal scored across two games was an own goal - from a header that was going wide before ricocheting off Rodrigo Muniz - while the same defensive frailties remain.

And it all comes back to one overarching issue - the fact that Amorim's side can never exert control in a Premier League match.

United did start brightly - with plenty of energy and some lovely combinations on the edge of the box as Cunha fired narrowly over before hitting the post - though that was not a sign of things to come, with their best chances coming from moments of luck or brilliance rather than patterns or anything rehearsed.