Fulham Vs. Manchester United Result Report

United earned a valuable three points at Craven Cottage with a comfortable 3-0 win over Fulham, while Arsenal could only manage a draw across town at the Emirates Stadium.

A Simon Davies own goal rounded off the scoring after first-half goals from Owen Hargreaves and Ji-sung Park had put United in the driving seat.

Last season, Craven Cottage was the scene for late drama as Cristiano Ronaldo capped a stunning 88th-minute dribble with a shot to match. It gave the Reds a come-from-behind 2-1 victory and, among fans at least, belief that Sir Alex’s side had the necessary character to go on and win the league.

Today, victory was less dramatic and yet just as significant. With Arsenal stumbling at the Emirates, this weekend could well prove the difference come the end of the season.

Perhaps with one eye on Tuesday’s crucial Champions League match, Sir Alex opted to leave out Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Nemanja Vidic, although he did field former Fulham favourites Edwin van der Sar and Louis Saha.

Saha had a golden chance to put the Reds in front as early as the fifth minute, but sliced wide from 18 yards after Paul Scholes had found the Frenchman from inside United’s half.

Carlos Tevez then went close from distance on seven minutes, forcing Fulham stopper Antti Niemi into a smart save down by his left-hand post. Van der Sar, meanwhile, was called into action a minute later, flinging himself to his right to keep out Danny Murphy’s rasping, dipping volley.


The chance buoyed the home support but it was United who carved out the next chance, Paul Scholes’ shot requiring a brave block from Fulham centre-back Brede Hangeland to keep scores at 0-0.

Hangeland was involved a minute later, however, in the build-up to United’s opener, bringing down Carlos Tevez on the edge of the box. With regular free-kick taker Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, up stepped Owen Hargreaves to curl home the set-piece in front of the Reds’ travelling fans.

It was the summer signing’s first goal for United and gave the Reds a valuable lead against a Fulham side who, until that point, were growing increasingly confident. Hargreaves’ strike, however, subdued the home team and Nani almost made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute when his long-range strike whistled past Niemi’s post.

The Reds did hit the target shortly afterwards, Paul Scholes’ header looking destined for the corner before Finnish stopper Niemi turned the ball around the post at full stretch.

United, by this stage, were coasting. Certainly, Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown had few worries at the heart of the Reds’ defence, while Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves were controlling the centre of the park.

Nani looked lively on the left wing, his quick feet causing Paul Stalteri all sorts of trouble whenever the Portuguese international reached the goal-line.

Despite United’s dominance, it was Fulham who had the best chance to score the game’s second. A Wes Brown foul near the right touchline gave Jimmy Bullard a chance to swing over a free-kick, which found Danny Murphy unmarked at the back post. Luckily for the Reds, the former Liverpool midfielder powered his header straight at Edwin van der Sar, who saved comfortably on the line.

It was a sharp wake-up call for Sir Alex’s men and the Reds responded by carving out another chance at the other end. This time it was Patrice Evra providing the cross and although Scholes found himself unmarked in the middle, the Englishman’s first touch – usually so close and assured – let him down and the ball trickled into Niemi’s arms.

It was Scholes who laid on the Reds’ second, just two minutes before half-time. Carlos Tevez held the ball up well on the edge of the box before switching play to Nani on the other flank. Scholes, sensing an opportunity to get to the by-line, provided the overlap and Nani duly fed the Reds veteran, who crossed first-time for Ji-sung Park to head into the net via the underside of the bar.

Like Hargreaves, Park’s goal was his first of the season and came just before the interval to give United a deserved half-time lead.

Neither manager made changes at the break and although Fulham did put the ball in the net shortly after the restart, Brian McBride was correctly ruled offside in the build-up.

Craven Cottage soon found its voice but sit was United who looked most threatening. Nani, jeered by the home crowd for what they believed was a dive early in the second half, cut inside before testing Niemi from the edge of the box after Louis Saha’s effort was blocked.

Moritz Volz saw a shot flash wide after taking a deflection off Patrice Evra but it was a sole Fulham spark in an otherwise quiet period for the home side before the hour-mark.

Down the other end, Paul Scholes almost unlocked the Fulham defence again with a sweet clipped ball with the outside of the foot, but Niemi reached the pass ahead of Saha to snuff out of the danger.

American Eddie Johnson then pulled a shot wide before Danny Murphy made way for Alexey Smertin on 65 minutes as Fulham sought to find a way back into the match.

Roy Hodgson won’t have been pleased, then, to see Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo introduced four minutes later.

Ronaldo almost had an instant impact, twisting and teasing Hangeland on the right wing before crossing for Park, whose knock down found Rooney on the edge of the box. The England striker swivelled but struggled to dig the ball out from beneath his feet.

United did find the net on 72 minutes when John O’Shea’s low cross was diverted into his own net by the hapless Simon Davies. It was cruel on Fulham but, in truth, no less than the Reds deserved on a bitingly cold London afternoon.

From then on, it was a case of safety first, although Ronaldo almost added a fourth in injury time to rub salt into the wound. Of course, three was enough and it was three cheers for United at the final whistle as Sir Alex’s men clawed back vital points in the race for the title.

United: Van der Sar; O’Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra; Park, Scholes, Hargreaves, Nani (Anderson 75); Tevez (Ronaldo 69), Saha (Rooney 69)

Subs not used: Kuszczak, Pique

Fulham: Niemi; Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Murphy (Smertin 65), Volz (Kamara), Johnson (Nevland 90), Bullard, Davies, McBride

Subs not used: Keller, Bocanegra

Attendance: 25,314