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Man Utd held by Fulham as Carrick pressure mounts

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1 hour ago

September 21, 2026

Man Utd pressure on Carrick grows after a 1-1 Fulham draw, as Manchester City move top with a 5-3 win over Sunderland

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick faced renewed scrutiny at Craven Cottage on Sunday, September 20, 2026, after Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham, while Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League with a 5-3 victory over Sunderland.

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Matheus Cunha’s late equaliser rescued United from a third consecutive defeat, but the result extended a difficult opening to Carrick’s permanent tenure and left United with just one Premier League victory from their first five matches.

United arrived at Fulham desperate for a response following defeats against Manchester City and Brighton. Instead, Carrick’s side produced another uneven display and had to rely on a late intervention from Cunha to escape with a point.

Fulham created the first clear opening when Gonzalo Garcia dragged a shot wide, before United responded through Lisandro Martinez, whose effort from the edge of the area forced a fine save from Bernd Leno.

Bruno Fernandes then struck the post with a powerful effort as United threatened to take control.

Fulham, however, continued to expose gaps in the United defence. Josh King forced a save from Senne Lammens, while the goalkeeper also denied Sander Berge and Alex Iwobi as the hosts applied pressure.

The breakthrough eventually came in unfortunate fashion for United.

Calvin Bassey’s powerful effort was saved by Lammens, but Martinez’s attempted clearance went badly wrong. The ball deflected off the defender and rolled into his own net, giving Fulham the lead.

United pushed for a response but struggled to find the required cutting edge.

Cunha eventually provided it in the 89th minute. The forward’s long-range effort took a significant deflection off David Affengruber and wrong-footed Leno before finding the net.

The goal spared United another defeat, but the draw did little to settle questions around Carrick.

United have now won only once in their opening five Premier League matches and have already suffered three defeats in all competitions this season.

Carrick’s team had also endured a damaging League Cup exit during the week, surrendering a 2-0 lead against Brighton before losing 3-2.

The sequence has placed greater attention on Carrick’s ability to stabilise a side that finished third last season and entered the new campaign with expectations of challenging near the top of the table.

Carrick has insisted that speculation about his future does not concern him, maintaining that his focus is on improving the team’s performances.

Sunday’s result nevertheless leaves United facing a difficult period before the next international break.

The wider Premier League picture offered an uncomfortable contrast for United.

Manchester City moved to the summit after beating Sunderland 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium, extending their perfect start to seven wins in all competitions under new manager Enzo Maresca.

Enzo Fernandez, signed from Chelsea for £125 million on transfer deadline day, opened the scoring for City before Sunderland repeatedly fought back.

Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for Sunderland, while Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, who scored twice, also found the net for City. Erling Haaland eventually settled the contest in the 81st minute.

Haaland’s goal was his seventh in six matches this season and completed a remarkable attacking display, although City’s defence showed vulnerabilities that Sunderland repeatedly exploited.

City now lead the Premier League by three points over champions Arsenal and remain the only side with a perfect league record.

For United, the table provides a different picture. The club head into the international break searching for consistency while Carrick works to address defensive errors and improve his side‘s attacking efficiency.

United return to Premier League action on October 10 with a home match against Tottenham Hotspur.

The result at Fulham may have prevented another defeat, but Cunha’s late equaliser could only provide temporary relief.