Premier League: Fulham Have Red Devils in Their Sights

Fulham vs Manchester United

Hot on the heels of an impressive 2-0 win away to Leicester City, Marco Silva’s Fulham have their eyes on another three points when Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United head to London for a mouthwatering Premier League clash on Sunday.

The Red Devils lost 3-1 at home to Brighton last time out, and they had a tricky Europa League date with Glasgow Rangers on Thursday night. So, this match comes at a time when the visitors may not be at their best. It’s 10^th versus 13^th, but seven points separate the two clubs. And while the Cottagers are eying a European slot, Manchester United are simply looking for improvement and consistency.

 

Talking Points

Fulham’s creative muscle is strengthening

Since his arrival at Craven Cottage in 2021, Silva has put together a team which is comfortable in the Premier League and plays some of the most attractive football. They have scored two or more goals in each of their last six games, and Fulham’s only recent setback was a 3-2 defeat away to West Ham United on Graham Potter’s debut as the Hammers manager.

Raul Jimenez with eight goals and Alex Iwobi with seven are both having their best seasons with the club, while summer signing Emile Smith Rowe has settled well with four goals and two assists, marking his 100^th Premier League appearance with the opening goal of the game against the Foxes.

Adama Traore climbed off the bench to wrap up the three points. 27-year-old right winger Harry Wilson is another matchwinner, a super sub on his day. But he has earned a starting place in Silva’s team, and he was the Man-of-the-Match against Leicester, making a superb flick to tee up the first goal and, when he switched to the left wing, he found Traore with a pinpoint pass for the second.

It is the fluidity of movement in Fulham’s front six which is a nightmare to defend and, against a team which hasn’t picked up a clean sheet in its last six outings, they could have some fun on Sunday.           

 

Fernandes leads by example

Living in the Northwest of England as I do, I know plenty of Manchester United fans. And after a fallow period of over a decade, they are now starting to become philosophical. But every now and then, they see signs that the good times might just be around the corner. The Red Devils went into their clash with Brighton on the back of battling performances against both Liverpool and Arsenal, but then they faded badly against the Seagulls.

Then they struggled to put away Scottish league side Glasgow Rangers on Thursday, even needing a bizarre own goal from boyhood Manchester United fan Jack Butland, who fisted the ball into his own net to set the hosts on their way. And then, after Cyriel Desser scored a late leveller, captain Bruno Fernandes popped up with an injury-time winner.

Amorim can rely on fans’ favourite Bruno to deliver, and he’s a fine captain, both on the pitch and at Carrington Training Ground, but the Portugal star needs more leaders around him and strong characters. Centre-back Lisandro Martinez is an obvious candidate with his full-blooded battling instinct and classy ball play, while 22-year-old winger Amad Diallo, who is top scoring with six goals, clearly has what it takes. Amad is also joint-top assist maker, alongside skipper Bruno, with six assists, while the skipper also has five goals.  

Alejandro Garnacho is another of the handful of players performing consistently well but, in other Premier League 2025 news, Amorim is facing the prospect of selling the 20-year-old Argentine to help the club comply with the league’s Financial Fair Play rules. Chelsea have shown an interest, and the next few days will be crucial, but there seems to be little prospect of moving Marcus Rashford on after the club failed to find a bidder for the England man in summer.

The Premier League 2025 betting odds say this could be another bad day for Amorim’s boys. If Bruno, Amad, and Martinez all have a good game, the Red Devils can get a result, but it can’t go on like this.  

 

History

With 29 wins to four, the Red Devils have bossed the head-to-heads with the Cottagers, and they won the return match at Old Trafford, the first game of the Premier League season, as Joshua Zirkzee climbed off the bench to score the only goal of the game on 87 minutes.

Fulham have been strong at home with four wins, five draws, and two defeats at Craven Cottage, and they have been in good form recently with three wins, two draws, and one defeat from the last six.

Manchester United have struggled all season, and with three losses, two wins and a draw from their last six (before the Europa clash with Rangers), they have suffered something of a post-Christmas slump.   

 

Betting Tip

The Thursday/Sunday grind of Europa League football won’t help Amorim’s side, while Fulham have had a full week to prepare for this top-flight clash and, at SBOTOP odds of 2.32 to win, the Cottagers are at a tempting price, with the draw at 3.03 and United at 2.70 to win.

I can’t see an away win, but Silva’s team has struggled to turn draws into victories at times this season. And there is little value in a Double Chance: Win or Draw, so I’m going with my instinct of a game with a handful of goals.  

   

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