Man United vs Fulham LIVE: Latest Premier League opener updates
Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free
Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Manchester United host Fulham at Old Trafford in the opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League season, with plenty of questions still hanging over Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman is looking to justify the board’s decision to keep him on as manager, though a loss in the Community Shield to Manchester City was not a good first step in trying to do so.
The Red Devils have signed Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui since that loss, but questions remain over transfer targets and whether this window has been good enough to fix some of the glaring problems at the club. And Fulham have had a similarly mixed preseason, losing talismanic midfielder Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich but signing Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe for a club record fee.
The Cottagers should certainly have enough talent to stay in the top flight, but can Marco Silva improve on last season’s 13th-placed finish? Follow all the action from Old Trafford with our live blog below:
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 63 minutes
A first switch for the vistors, and Emile Smith Rowe’s debut is at an end. Club captain Tom Cairney replaces him in midfield.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 62 minutes
Rodrigo Muniz looks to conjure something, an audacious overhead kick seemingly off target but diverting dangerously off Kobbie Mainoo’s clavicle. Andre Onana makes certain it clears his crossbar.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 61 minutes
That should give Manchester United a slightly more recognisable shape, Bruno Fernandes dropping into the hole with Joshua Zirkzee up top and Alejandro Garnacho taking Diallo’s place on the right wing.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 60 minutes
Just two changes, for now. Amad Dialoo and Mason Mount, limping slightly on a sore ankle, are replaced by Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 58 minutes
It would appear that Joshua Zirkzee will soon be with us on Premier League debut, the striker stripping off at Erik ten Hag’s instruction. A couple more of Manchester United’s substitutes are also readying their entrances as Ten Hag prepares to roll the dice for the first time this season.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 55 minutes
Up goes the volume as Amad Diallo wins a corner. Fulham half-clear it but Kobbie Mainoo has a decent sighter from 20 yards soon after. Scuffed, slightly, and strimming the verge on its way wide of Bernd Leno’s goal.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 54 minutes
And the moment nearly arrives for Mason Mount! Marcus Rashford threatens with pace and purpose for the first time all night, and Mount joins him in a timely manner to rattle the shins of Bernd Leno from close range.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 52 minutes
Noussair Mazraoui waits an age for a teammate to come available as he readies a throw, and eventually a retreating Bruno Fernandes is found and fouled. The referee plays advantage, which the hosts fail to take, and Adama Traore is then hauled down at the other end by Marcus Rashford.
Andreas Pereira’s clip is comfortably claimed by Andre Onana but Manchester United need to reset and restart.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 49 minutes
A real buzz about Fulham at the start of the half, their intensity back up to the levels they began the game with after that second quarter lull. Another Pereira corner is flicked goalwards and thumped away in haste by a wild swing of a Manchester United boot. Diogo Dalot was alert at the far post but Fulham are posing a threat.
Manchester United 0-0 Fulham, 47 minutes
Tidy footwork from Emile Smith Rowe to shimmy between three Manchester United players, but he loses control of the ball and Lisandro Martinez nips in. Martinez’s clearance is woeful, though, and Alex Iwobi wins a corner out of Noussair Mazraoui.
Iwobi is up at the front stick to flick on Andreas Pereira’s delivery, though gets his header wrong. Andre Onana is untroubled.
