Manchester United will aim for a winning finish when they take on Fulham before venturing into the World Cup break.
Fulham will welcome Manchester United in their final home fixture as league football bids goodbye for more than a month following this weekend. The Cottagers have done well to keep themselves relevant for a top-half finish but are aware of the threat Manchester United possess.
Erik ten Hag has already insisted he will not take the Fulham game lightly and will try to fix the required aspects that were missing in their loss at the hands of Aston Villa. Manchester United could take inspiration from the other part of Manchester as the reigning champions pulled off a last-minute victory, with Erling Haaland converting a spot-kick in the added time to beat Fulham last weekend.
A plethora of Manchester United players have been called up by their respective countries to the World Cup. And it will be very interesting to see whether the players are able to keep their commitment in this game as distractions are bound to happen with the grand event in Qatar around the corner.
Fulham have been the surprise package this season as they have managed to give the relegation scare a skip so far. Marco Silva’s men have shown some indomitable spirit and are unwilling to give up without a fight.
A last-gasp Manchester City winner left Fulham without a point, and they will be banking on their home comfort to inflict a loss to Manchester United, who they have not beaten since December 2009. Knowing a win will put them in a favourable position for a top-six hunt, they will fancy their muscle in an attempt to end their pre-World Cup journey with a success.
Leaking goals has been the problem for Fulham, and with a particular Cristiano Ronaldo in the opposition, the Cottagers won’t be taking much risk in this clash. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
An update on Mitro from Marco's press conference. 📋#FULMUN pic.twitter.com/BCxvkpocn1
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) November 11, 2022
Aleksandar Mitrovic has been named in Serbia’s World Cup squad, but there remain fears regarding his foot injury. Neeskens Kebano and Manor Solomon are sidelined, while Kenny Tete and Harrison Reed will have to sit out this game due to suspension.
Bernd Leno will keep his place between the sticks. Issa Diop and Tim Ream will try to put up a strong display in the backline, while Bobby Reid and Antonee Robinson will complete the back four.
Tom Cairney and Joao Palhinha will take care of the midfield battle. Harry Wilson and Willian will likely take up their position on the flanks, and Andreas Pereira will try to make things work against his former club. Finally, Carlos Vinicius will lead the line for Fulham against Manchester United in the absence of Mitrovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Reid, Ream, Diop, Robinson; Cairney, Palhinha; Wilson, Pereira, Willian; Vinicius
Manchester United
Raphael Varane, Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams will not be available due to their respective injury problems. Antony and Cristiano Ronaldo need to be assessed and the manager will take a final call. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot is suspended for this game, and it will be a very curious selection headache for Erik ten Hag.
David de Gea will maintain his presence in the goal. Victor Lindelof will slot into the heart of the Manchester United defence, with Lisandro Martinez lining up alongside him. Tyrell Malacia will likely deputise on the right side of the defence in the absence of Dalot, and Luke Shaw will start on the left.
"When you say Manchester United it's different, the vibe is different, how you say it is different" ✨
Christian Eriksen talks about joining Manchester United 🔴 pic.twitter.com/kB8oAhxtcZ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 12, 2022
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen will need to snuff out the midfield battle. Bruno Fernandes will be available again after serving his ban, and he will be churning out his creative masterpiece from the pocket just behind the main striker.
Anthony Martial will lead the line for Manchester United against Fulham, with Ronaldo likely being on the bench. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford and Antony will be offering assistance to the French striker from the wings.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Malacia, Martinez, Lindelof, Shaw; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Key Stats
- Fulham have won just two of their last 25 Premier League games against Manchester United (D5 L18) and are winless in 13 against them since picking up back-to-back victories in 2009. The Red Devils have won their last five Premier League away games against Fulham, more than they had in their first ten such visits in the competition (W4 D4 L2).
- Manchester United have lost just one of their last 18 Premier League games against promoted sides (W11 D6), going down 4-1 at Watford in November last season.
- Fulham have lost just one of their seven Premier League home games this season (W3 D3). They have already earned more points (12), won more games (3), and scored more goals (13) at Craven Cottage this season than they did in the entirety of their last Premier League campaign (10 points, 2 wins, 9 goals).
- Coming into this weekend’s games, only the top three of Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle United have kept more Premier League clean sheets than Manchester United this season (5). However, the Red Devils have conceded 19 goals, the most of any side in the top eight at the start of the weekend.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored seven goals in his last seven Premier League starts for Manchester United against Fulham – only against Aston Villa and Tottenham (8 each) has he netted more against in the competition.
Player to Watch
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has been a consistent goal-provider and was involved in another goal against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup. He will be looking to add a couple more which could further boost his confidence prior to the World Cup.
Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Manchester United
Heading into the season, Manchester United would have been expected to steamroll their opponents who have not really stepped up against them. But Fulham are a completely different unit this time, and the visitors should expect a tough fight.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s absence will be a big boost for Manchester United, who also are likely to miss a few players. But the Red Devils might do enough to clinch three points, buoyed from the inspiring performance against Aston Villa earlier this week.
