Paul Pogba scored a spectacular long-range goal as Manchester United beat Fulham to return to the top of the Premier League.
The win makes it 17th away games without unbeaten in the process, breaking a long-standing club record.
Fulham battled bravely but were ultimately second-best on a frustrating night at the Cottage which saw Manchester United come away with all three points.
The Whites gained the upper hand after just five minutes, livewire Ademola Lookman striking low past David De Gea following some lacklustre defending from United.
As the game went on, Fulham looked excellent value for their lead and didn’t allow The Red Devils to get a foothold in the game.
At times this season, loan signing and World Cup winning goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has looked a superb addition to the Fulham back line with a highlight reel of incredible saves.
However, it was through his error that United were afforded a path back into the game, after he spilt Bruno Fernandes’ cross after 21 minutes at the feet of the ruthless Edinson Cavani, who showed no mercy when firing low into the net to restore parity.
In the 25 minutes remaining of the first half, United showed why they are at the top end of the table with a high-tempo display that forced Fulham into camping in their own half.
Going into the second 45, United had made 109 passes in the final third, whilst on the other hand Fulham had only put together a meagre 21.
Yet, the scores remained level and TV viewers around the globe were left with the prospect of an entertaining second half.
And how entertaining it proved! After 20 relatively quiet minutes of action in the second period, it all came back to life after Paul Pogba buried a stunning strike from 25-yards past Areola in the Fulham net.
Pogba, whose performances recently have started to resemble value for money somewhat, picked up the ball wide on the right-hand side and skipped past the onrushing Fulham defenders before curling a beauty into the far left-hand corner. It was one of those goals which you simply have to look back at and applaud.
Despite throwing away their original lead, Fulham showed no signs of backing down. Under Parker, Fulham had never lost a match in which the Whites scored first, so they had ample reason to believe there was something to be taken tonight.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, back in the side after being ineligible for Saturday’s loss to Chelsea, spurned two great chances. Firstly, when played through by Aboubakar Kamara he could do nothing but shoot straight at De Gea. Then, moments later, he found himself with the opportunity to score again, but this time blazed wildly over following a lovely counter-attacking move that rendered United effectively helpless.
Deep into injury time, Fulham forced the issue once more. From a corner, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who, as of yet this season has failed to hit the heights of previous campaigns in black and white, sent his header across goal where it deflected off United’s Ivorian defender Eric Bailly and agonisingly past the post.
A point apiece would have been fair given the openness of tonight’s encounter, but it just wasn’t to be.
And so, heading into another cup weekend, United’s title charge continues and Fulham, despite the marked improvement in their game, must start turning performances into points sooner rather than later if they’re to have any chance of staying up.
By Dylan Chavasse
