Cunha strikes late to deny Fulham and salvage point for Manchester United

To use words similar to a former Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick knew that trouble would come. Everything had gone almost too well for him in the second half of last season. He knew that bad results would happen at some point. Carrick sensed this before the match at Fulham. How did he feel after the game?

Relief was surely the main thing. Because after the derby defeat by Manchester City last Sunday and the midweek Carabao Cup exit against Brighton – both at Old Trafford – Carrick was starring at an unwanted hat-trick. All this on the back of other wobbles since the opening weekend when United lost at Hull.

Related: Fulham 1-1 Manchester United: Premier League – live reaction

It was a darkly comic own goal by Lisandro Martínez that raised Fulham’s hopes of a first Premier League win under Alvaro Arbeloa. United have almost always won in this corner of south-west London in recent seasons. A crash against the team that started at the foot of the table was unthinkable.

Carrick and his team avoided a loss when they got a big piece of luck right at the end. Matheus Cunha had few options on the edge of the area, slightly left of center, so he shot toward the near corner. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno looked ready to save it. Then the ball hit David Affengruber and deflected sharply, spinning into the opposite corner of the goal.

United escaped. It was true that Fulham invited pressure after Martinez’s horror moment, sinking back. They came to lack an out-ball. But it did not look as though United could find the required moment of penetration. Carrick’s players were low on confidence; their moves were frequently predictable. They could not get in behind in the second-half, their only efforts coming from outside the area. Thankfully for Carrick, Cunha got one to work.

There was plenty to like about Fulham, who remain a work in progress under Arbeloa. He appears to have concluded that he needs greater security in central midfield – hence Sander Berge and Shea Charles, with Alex Iwobi out to the left wing. There were round pegs in round holes for Fulham, which was not completely the case for United, albeit they were able to welcome back Luke Shaw on the left side of their defence.

With no Benjamin Sesko because of injury (again), Carrick was without his only pure No 9. His solution, once again, was to use Cunha as a false nine and ask Bruno Fernandes to play close to him. It was a box midfield, with Youri Tielemans and Kabbie Mainoo further back. Arbeloa got his wingers, Oscar Bobb and Iwobi, to come inside to good effect at times. The battle for control of the middle of the pitch pulsed, with Josh King a major part of the picture.

Fulham's No 10, who Thomas Tuchel said was "close" to an England call-up on Friday, caused problems when he moved toward the right during a first half in which Fulham played with more urgency and creativity. King tested Senne Lammens in the 32nd minute after finding a yard of space away from Shaw. It was not the only time United felt worried.

Fulham had reason to be upset that they did not score before half-time. Twice, Gonzalo García missed a good chance to score when he was well placed. On the second of those chances, Berge made Lammens work hard during the second phase of the attack. There was also a moment when Bobb found space on the edge of the penalty area but shot wide. In the 45th minute, King wanted a free-kick on the edge of the area after running into Harry Maguire. However, he had been looking to make contact, and he was correctly booked for diving.

United hit the goal frame twice in the first half and had other near misses. They got into good positions but were blocked in the final third. Their passing was sometimes too complicated. Cunha did well to get past Affengruber on the right and pass the ball back for Fernandes, who hit the far post. Cunha almost scored by luck when a long-range shot deflected, looping high and landing against the outside of the post. Martínez made Bernd Leno make a good save early in the match. Marcus Rashford missed a good chance by shooting too high.

After the break, United tried to play with more energy and speed. But they struggled, and the own goal hit them hard. It happened when Cunha failed to control the ball in a deep midfield position. Calvin Bassey outmuscled him because he wanted the ball more. The Fulham captain then pushed forward to the edge of the penalty area. When he shot, United's problems were about to get worse.

Lammens failed to make a clean save. Martínez, who was facing his own goal, moved far too slowly. He could not get his feet in the right position and only managed to poke the ball toward his own goal. Lammens, maybe unsure if it counted as a back pass, then tried to clear it with his feet but failed. It was a huge mistake.

United could feel the red panic lights flashing. They fought to stabilise. Fulham conceded three goals in both of their opening home league fixtures under Arbeloa. They were more robust here. They sat back and compressed the spaces. Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha forced Leno into fine saves with curlers from distance but United lacked sophistication. It appeared to be heading in only one direction for them, especially when Kevin, on as a Fulham substitute, almost beat Lammens for 2-0. Cunha was the saviour. The fault-lines remain deep.