Joshua Zirkzee scored a dramatic late winner on his Manchester United debut as the Red Devils claimed a 1-0 victory over Fulham in the first Premier League match of 2024/25.
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After recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish last season, United looked set to be frustrated at Old Trafford on Friday until their new striker diverted a deft finish past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 87th minute.
Introduced midway through the second half by Erik ten Hag, Zirkzee applied the crucial touch to fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s teasing centre to settle the contest.
Bruno Fernandes had earlier squandered United’s best chances, with Leno in excellent form for the visitors.
But Zirkzee’s effort ensured United got the ball rolling as they begin their season with a perfect result.
How the match unfolded
With United debutant Noussair Mazraoui having made a vital intervention to prevent Alex Iwobi getting onto Adama Traore’s cutback, the hosts wanted a penalty when Amad Diallo took a tumble under pressure from Antonee Robinson, but there was nothing doing for referee Robert Jones, whose decision was confirmed by VAR.
Kenny Tete tested Andre Onana at the other end, before Fernandes – playing up front – twice had the chance to take centre stage.
However, on both occasions he fluffed his lines when one-on-one with Leno.
Fulham’s goalkeeper was then on hand to deny Mason Mount in the second half.
Former United midfielder Andreas Pereira should have made Leno’s work count when he had Iwobi in support and the home defence outnumbered on a counter, only for the Brazil international to pick out Harry Maguire.
His wastefulness proved costly in the closing stages. Garnacho’s low cross had just enough pace on it to find Zirkzee, who stuck out a leg to divert his finish into the bottom-left corner.
After a mistake from Calvin Bassey, United should have made sure of the result in the final minute of stoppage time, only for Garnacho to flap wildly after latching onto Marcus Rashford’s square ball, though that miss ultimately mattered little.
Zirkzee makes his mark
In the first match of United’s 100th top-flight season, one of the club’s newest editions – wearing the Red Devils’ iconic No 11 shirt – proved decisive.
With Zirkzee, signed from Serie A side Bologna in July, having missed much of pre-season following his exploits with the Netherlands at UEFA EURO 2024 and not featuring in last week’s FA Community Shield, Ten Hag opted to push Fernandes into an unfamiliar striker role.
Opportunities did fall Fernandes’ way, but the lack of composure he showed in those first-half chances – which were both teed up by Casemiro – belied a player featuring out of position.
And while it may have taken almost 30 minutes after he was introduced to turn the contest, Zirkzee showed just how much damage a clinical striker can do, even if there were some question marks over whether Scott McTominay may have got the final touch.
With Rasmus Hojlund out injured, there is no reason why Zirkzee cannot stake his claim to lead United’s line. He has made a fantastic start, while in defence, fellow debutant Mazraoui proved his quality with an assured display at right-back.
Leno’s hard work undone, but Fulham can look up
Had Fulham held on for a point – or maybe even more – then it would have been in no small part down to the excellent Leno, who once again proved just how good of a shot-stopper he is.
While Fernandes should have done better in those one-v-ones, Leno made himself big and reacted sharply to charge off his line, as he did to thwart Mount early in the second half.
Marco Silva may be frustrated with his attackers, though. Fulham created openings, with Traore particularly impactful down the right flank, yet the Cottagers could just not apply the finishing touch, or find the final pass, when it mattered most.
With new England interim manager Lee Carsley watching on from the stands, Emile Smith Rowe had a rather quiet debut, though if Leno shows the same level of form throughout the campaign, there is no reason for the Cottagers not to have high hopes for this season, as long as that composure and guile does arrive in the final third.
Fulham will be eyeing their first points when they host promoted Leicester City next week.
Club reports
Man Utd report | Fulham report
What the managers said
Erik ten Hag: "I think the performance was OK. The win is very pleasing, To start the season with a win is always important. We are not ready as a squad, as a team, many players are not up to full fitness. We only had 10 days with this team training together."
Marco Silva: "The game was open and broken, we tried to rush our decisions. Many times we started to lose the ball too quick. We let the game go too emotional and we didn't want that."
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Key facts
Manchester United have more wins (22) and more points (70) from their opening games of Premier League campaigns than any other side.
Zirkzee became the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, with four of those doing so for Manchester United (also Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek).
Manchester United have now scored in each of their last 29 home games against Fulham in all competitions, since a 2-0 loss in April 1963.
Fulham have lost their opening match of a Premier League season when starting that campaign away from home for the first time since 2008/09 (1-2 vs Hull City).