Joshua Zirkzee marked his Manchester United debut with a crucial late winner, as Erik ten Hag’s side scraped a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham in their Premier League opener.
The £35m summer signing from Bologna came off the bench to slot home a deft finish from Alejandro Garnacho’s cross, saving United from a frustrating afternoon at Old Trafford.
Despite dominating possession, Man United struggled to break down Marco Silva’s well-organised Fulham side. Bruno Fernandes wasted several golden chances, while Andre Onana was immediately called into action to deny Kenny Tete from a distance.
Fresh off a win at Old Trafford last season, Fulham started brightly, with Tete’s effort setting the tone for a challenging evening for the home side.
Zirkzee’s late goal spared United a sluggish start to their new campaign under Ten Hag, now in his third season and backed by new co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. The match, however, highlighted many of the same inconsistencies that plagued United last season, leaving fans and pundits questioning the team’s readiness for the campaign ahead.
After the game, Zirkzee expressed his joy at scoring the decisive goal in front of the iconic Stretford End. “To win here in my first home game and to grab a goal, it couldn’t be better,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
Despite the win, United’s performance raised concerns, echoing the challenges they faced last season. Ten Hag, who guided the team to FA Cup glory, admitted his side was “not ready,” with injuries and fitness issues forcing changes to the lineup.
Fernandes was deployed as a makeshift centre-forward in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, while new signing Noussair Mazraoui made his debut after joining from Bayern Munich.
United failed to convert multiple opportunities, with Fernandes and Mason Mount denied by Fulham’s standout goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Fulham also posed a threat on the counter-attack, with Lisandro Martinez making a crucial goal-saving clearance to deny Andreas Pereira, and Alex Iwobi missing a clear chance following a poor pass from Pereira.
While Zirkzee’s late intervention secured a much-needed victory for United, the performance underscored the work still required if Ten Hag’s men are to mount a serious Premier League title challenge this season.
