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Manchester United completed a seventh come-from-behind win away from home in this Premier League season, as goals from Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba sealed a 2-1 win for the Red Devils against Fulham on Wednesday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, while no strangers to conceding first on the road, would not have been expecting to be behind in just the fifth minute. Ademola Lookman ran in behind a sluggish United defense and drilled a fine low finish past David de Gea into the bottom left-hand corner.
The visitors took a bit of time to settle into their rhythm but were back on level terms soon enough. Cavani pounced on an error from Fulham keeper Alphonse Areola and tapped in the equalizer.
Both sides had a few promising chances to take the lead in the second half. But the deadlock was broken by a moment of magic from Pogba, who picked up the ball on the right flank and curled a superb long-range effort into the far corner with his left foot.
As Manchester United looked to protect their hard-earned lead, Fulham grew in confidence and blew several presentable chances to equalize, eventually falling to their second straight defeat in the league.
While Fulham stay put in the relegation zone, Manchester United continue their title tilt and reclaim top spot in the table from local rivals Manchester City. The Red Devils have opened up a two-point lead over their neighbors having played a game more.
On that note, here are the Manchester United player ratings from their gritty 2-1 win over Fulham that saw them climb back up to the top of the Premier League table.
David de Gea: 6/10
While he could have done better with Lookman’s goal, the Spaniard kept his side in the game with a couple of excellent reflex saves.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 4/10
Wan-Bissaka had a nightmare start to the game by giving the ball away cheaply and playing Lookman onside for the opener.
He grew more solid defensively as the game wore on but contributed very little going forward.
Eric Bailly: 5/10
Bailly used his pace and power to good effect by repeatedly winning the ball back up the field and was fairly safe and secure in defense throughout.
Harry Maguire: 5/10
After going behind early, the Manchester United skipper took it upon himself to haul his side back into the game with a series of driving runs out from the back.
Maguire was an ever-present in the opposition box for set-pieces and won his fair share of headers without getting an effort on target.
Luke Shaw: 5/10
The Manchester United left-back was more involved offensively than he was defensively, as he got forward well and sent in a series of inviting crosses into the box.
However, in defense, he came off second-best against a lively Ruben Loftus-Cheek and was dribbled past far too regularly for his liking.
Paul Pogba: 8/10
The Frenchman overcame an early booking to continue his habit of scoring important goals for his side with a sumptuous left-footed effort from range in the second half.
Pogba was hugely effective defensively as well, winning the ball back on a number of occasions with a series of well-timed interceptions. He has arguably outstripped Bruno Fernandes to become Manchester United’s most influential midfielder in recent times.
Fred: 5/10
A typically energetic display in midfield from the Brazilian, who put himself about and threw himself into tackles with a robustness that the Manchester United faithful have come to associate him with.
Mason Greenwood: 4/10
A disappointing outing for the youngster, who picked the ball up in promising situations but could not create good scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates.
Bruno Fernandes: 6/10
He faded away somewhat after a bright start that saw him hit the post and set up Cavani’s equalizer.
Having played virtually every minute for Manchester United since joining the club in January last year, the Portuguese international is starting to look like he could do with a rest. His attacking output has taken a slight dip of late.
Anthony Martial: 5/10
An industrious, if ineffective performance on the left wing from Martial, who set off on a few promising runs without providing much penetration against a resolute Fulham defense.
Edinson Cavani: 7/10
Whether it was his well-honed striker’s instinct that saw him be in the right place at the right time to bag the equalizer or his impressive work rate that saw him win back possession on the halfway line several times, Cavani showcased exactly how much he adds to this Manchester United side with an excellent performance.
Substitutes:
Marcus Rashford: 5/10
Despite only coming on as a late substitute for the final five minutes, Rashford showcased his silky dribbling moves. He also maintained his record of making an appearance in every Manchester United game this season.
Scott McTominay: 5/10
The Scotsman was brought on to shore up the midfield and help see out the win, a task which he managed in typically uncomplicated fashion.
Nemanja Matic: N.A.
Matic replaced Bruno Fernandes in the final few seconds as Manchester United looked to run out the clock.
