After the derby and Carabao Cup failures. Fulham vs Manchester United prediction
Fulham and Manchester United will meet on Sunday, September 20, in the fifth round of the English Premier League. The match will take place at Craven Cottage in London, with kick-off at 17:30 Central European Time. I am backing the winner of this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- Fulham have lost both of their home Premier League matches this season.
- Manchester United have suffered back-to-back defeats.
- The Red Devils are still without an away win this season.
- Fulham have been unable to beat Manchester United at home since 2009.
Arbeloa has endured a disastrous start to the season
Fulham have made an extremely poor start to the new season. After four rounds, the team have picked up just one point and sit 18th in the Premier League table. The London side lost 3-2 to Chelsea, then suffered 1-0 and 3-2 defeats against Sunderland and Crystal Palace respectively. Only in the fourth round did Alvaro Arbeloa's side manage to end their losing streak, drawing 0-0 with Liverpool at Anfield.
At the same time, Fulham's early-season schedule cannot be described as easy. The team faced Chelsea in the very first round, followed by an away trip to Sunderland and a home game against Crystal Palace. Against Liverpool, the Londoners finally produced a more organised defensive display and kept a clean sheet in the league for the first time.
Fulham should also take added confidence from their Carabao Cup victory. On Tuesday, the team travelled to West Ham and secured a 3-2 win. Arbeloa made extensive changes to his lineup, but his side twice allowed the hosts to level before snatching victory through Oscar Bobb's 78th-minute goal. Fulham have reached the fourth round of the competition, where they will face Crystal Palace.
The hosts' main problem is their defence, which conceded seven goals in the opening three rounds. However, following the clean sheet against Liverpool and the successful cup outing, the situation looks slightly more encouraging. At home, Fulham will surely try to play more aggressively than they did at Anfield and take advantage of Manchester United's inconsistency.
The Red Devils have found themselves in the turbulence zone once again
Manchester United sit 13th after four rounds with four points. The team began the season with a 2-0 defeat to Hull City, then thrashed Ipswich 5-2, drew 2-2 with Everton and lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the derby. As a result, the victory over Ipswich remains Michael Carrick's side's only Premier League win so far.
The defeat to Manchester City was particularly painful. United played with a man advantage and had chances to open the scoring, but ultimately conceded to Erling Haaland and suffered their second defeat in four rounds. The team have collected just four points from a possible 12 and remain well short of the pace required to challenge for the higher positions.
The situation worsened in midweek with another disappointing result. Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup after a 3-2 home defeat to Brighton. The hosts made an excellent start and quickly went 2-0 up through Shea Lacey and Mason Mount, but then completely lost control of the game. Brighton scored three times to complete the comeback, while United suffered defeat after surrendering a two-goal lead.
Carrick must now quickly shift his team's focus to another competition. United can still rely on their attacking potential: seven goals in four rounds is a respectable return, although the six goals conceded highlight their defensive problems. After two consecutive defeats, Manchester United will surely look to respond with a result at Craven Cottage, but the team's psychological state following their cup exit will be one of the key factors in the match.
Probable lineups
- Fulham: Leno, Robinson, Bassey, Affengruber, Castagne, Charles, Berge, King, Bobb, Iwobi, Garcia.
- Manchester United: Lammens, Dorgu, Martinez, Maguire, Dalot, Tielemans, Mainoo, Fernandes, Rashford, Mbeumo, Cunha.
What should you bet on?
Fulham are currently in the relegation zone, but the draw with Liverpool and the Carabao Cup win over West Ham could give the hosts a confidence boost. Manchester United, by contrast, have lost their last two matches and suffered a painful cup exit. At the same time, the visitors look capable of causing Fulham serious problems thanks to the quality of their squad and attacking potential. I am backing Carrick's team to win with a 0 handicap.
