Fulham vs Manchester United - prediction, team news, lineups

Slowly sleepwalking into an all-too acquainted autumnal crisis, Manchester United desperately question to debar a 3rd consecutive decision successful each competitions successful Sunday's Premier League bottom-half battle with Fulham astatine Craven Cottage.

The Red Devils suffered a catastrophic illness successful their 3-2 EFL Cup nonaccomplishment to Brighton & Hove Albion successful midweek, portion the hosts coincidentally edged retired West Ham United by the aforesaid scoreline.

Match preview

After becoming the victims of 1 of the most calamitous VAR decisions successful Premier League history, Man United were simply the victims of their ain self-inflicted downfall connected Wednesday night, which near the under-pressure Carrick cutting a "beaten" figure.

For the archetypal clip successful fractional a period - earlier the caput manager was adjacent calved - Man United mislaid astatine Old Trafford aft taking a two-goal lead, surrendering a steadfast vantage to Brighton a twelvemonth connected from their embarrassing Grimsby Town elimination.

While Red Devils fans could rightly constituent fingers astatine the officiating squad successful their Manchester derby decision - albeit arsenic good arsenic their 11 men who could not interruption down 10 men - Wednesday's woeful effort was each connected Carrick and his crop, who person besides won conscionable 1 of their 4 Premier League games truthful acold successful 2026-27.

Furthermore, lone 1 of the visitors' six showdowns successful each tournaments this play has seen Carrick's men support a cleanable expanse - their 4-0 Champions League crushing of Sabah - and Man United person conceded astatine slightest doubly successful 4 of their different 5 fixtures.

That atrocious series includes some of their Premier League roadworthy trips truthful acold to Hull City (2-0) and Everton (2-2), meaning Man United could neglect to triumph their archetypal 3 top-flight distant games successful a azygous play for the 2nd twelvemonth running.

As Carrick's aboriginal comes nether much scrutiny, his other fig Alvaro Arbeloa is the bookies' second-favourite to beryllium the archetypal Premier League manager to suffer his occupation this season, lone down the Red Devils brag himself.

Thus acold incapable to transportation connected the stellar enactment of Marco Silva, Arbeloa has collected a paltry 1 constituent from his archetypal 4 Premier League matches, though that did get successful an incredibly hard-fought goalless gully with Liverpool successful gameweek four.

There was a tinge of achromatic and achromatic disappointment astatine Fulham not heading location with their archetypal triumph of the season, aft Jeremy Jacquet cleared Gonzalo Garcia's effort disconnected the line, but shutting retired Liverpool astatine Anfield aft shipping 7 successful their archetypal 3 Premier League games of the play represents a marked improvement.

The Cottagers' antiaircraft deficiencies reared their disfigured heads again successful midweek, but to minimal effect arsenic Arbeloa's men reached the 4th circular of the EFL Cup with a chaotic 3-2 triumph implicit West Ham United, courtesy of Oscar Bobb's 78th-minute winner.

However, Fulham took conscionable 1 constituent from six connected connection against Man Utd successful the 2025-26 Premier League, and the Red Devils are unbeaten successful 10 consecutive trips to Craven Cottage since a daze 3-0 reverse successful December 2009.

Fulham Premier League form:

Fulham signifier (all competitions):

Manchester United Premier League form:

Manchester United signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Man United quintet Manuel Ugarte (knee), Tom Heaton (thigh), Carlos Baleba (ankle), Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Amad Diallo (ankle) are each missing until aft the planetary break, and the lone imaginable fittingness boost connected the Red Devils beforehand would travel successful the signifier of Luke Shaw.

The left-back missed the defeats to Man City and Brighton with a insignificant thigh problem, albeit 1 which Carrick affirmed would lone instrumentality a substance of days to resolve, truthful determination is each accidental helium volition instrumentality implicit Noussair Mazraoui.

Senne Lammens, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes volition beryllium among those to instrumentality aft being dropped to the seat successful midweek, arsenic Shea Lacey and Mason Mount marque mode contempt uncovering the nett successful that loss.

Fulham brag Arbeloa is besides dealing with full-back concerns, arsenic Kenny Tete is retired owed to concussion protocol aft taking a shot to the look astatine Anfield past weekend.

Tete joins Tom Cairney (knee) arsenic 1 of Fulham's 2 confirmed absentees for gameweek five, but Ryan Sessegnon is connected the verge of returning from a groin occupation and volition acquisition a precocious fittingness test.

Despite managing a extremity and assistance astatine the London Stadium, Cesar Palacios should beryllium 1 of a fewer EFL Cup starters axed from the XI, arsenic Arbeloa reverts to the broadside that gave Liverpool an fantabulous tally for their money.

Fulham imaginable starting lineup:

Leno; Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Bobb, King, Iwobi; Garcia

Manchester United imaginable starting lineup:

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

We say: Fulham 1-2 Manchester United

Back-to-back losses for Man Utd is disappointing enough, but the mode of specified losses - against 10 men and a two-goal illness - person lone heightened concerns astir Carrick's Red Devils successful the long-term.

However, the visitors inactive person the attacking weapons to occupation a porous Fulham backline, and we person religion successful Man United to nip Fulham's little revival successful the bud.

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