I dedicate my Man of the Match award to Him,He works tirelessly to earn us that point yesterday and I’m not going to overlook His performance”, Joshua Zirkzee reveals the only Man United player that was the Key factor towards their success yesterday – Not Fernandez and Not Garnacho
Manchester United kicked off their Premier League season with a gritty 1-0 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday. The match was a tough battle, with United creating more scoring opportunities, though Fulham’s goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, delivered an outstanding performance to keep his team in the game. However, it was Joshua Zirkzee who finally found the breakthrough for United, scoring in the 87th minute to secure the win.
As the match wound down, Alejandro Garnacho had a golden chance to double United’s lead during stoppage time, but he failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Despite this, the night belonged to Zirkzee, who marked his debut with a crucial goal and earned the title of man of the match. Nonetheless, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo also stood out with a remarkable display. Mainoo was relentless in his efforts, winning an impressive 13 ground and aerial duels. He also showcased his passing accuracy, completing 90 percent of his passes, including a perfect record with long balls (3/3). Additionally, Mainoo successfully executed four take-ons and drew four fouls from Fulham.
After the match, Mainoo took to Instagram to express his joy, captioning his post with “No place like home” and referring to Zirkzee as a “hitman.” Zirkzee responded by acknowledging Mainoo’s contributions, calling him the “General.”
United’s performance in this season opener was notably stronger compared to their first match last season against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where they managed to scrape a win despite a lackluster display. Although United showed improvements, there remains a need for further refinement on both sides of the pitch. For instance, Bruno Fernandes missed two clear opportunities in the first half, and Garnacho’s missed chance in the final moments should have been converted.
Fulham, on the other hand, posed little threat with only two shots on target throughout the match. However, one area of concern for United was the gap between their attack and defense, a weakness highlighted by Casemiro’s positioning. The Brazilian midfielder was influential in attack, contributing three shots and creating two chances in the first half alone. Despite his offensive efforts, his primary responsibility is to anchor the defense, and in this regard, he fell short. Casemiro lost possession 13 times and was dribbled past twice, indicating that United may still need to strengthen their midfield by bringing in a high-caliber defensive player to provide competition and depth alongside the former Real Madrid star.
