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On a cold and soggy Wednesday night in West London, Manchester United came from behind to claim a fierce 2-1 victory against an impressive and resilient Fulham side.
The result leaves United at the top of the Premier League table and extends their unbeaten road streak to 17 games, equaling the club’s all-time record. The best of all came thanks to a very high quality moment from Paul Pogba, who was a quietly majestic presence in the midfield.
This always seemed like a tougher test for the visitors than the table might suggest. With a heavy January rain falling on the skeleton of the new grandstand, United were forced to dig into their own reserves against well-organized opponents.
“We needed the win and we got it the hard way,” Pogba said afterward, though there was nothing but sweetness in his winning goal just after the hour, a shot conjured out of the sleeve, from a moment of space to the right. which tied a startled bark of glee from the United bench.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær had sent a team that seemed ready to play, with almost a full team to choose from, an injury-free career that has been part of this team’s mid-season increase. Solskjær talked a lot about the need for extreme physical conditioning in his first season. All of these United regulars look fierce and combative.
Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood started on offense, and Pogba fell to deep midfield, a progressive move in the absence of the more fierce Scott McTominay. Fulham started with the icy wind behind them. They seemed hungry from the start. Ademola Lookman had an early skim shot from 25 yards, then stunned the empty stands with the first goal in the fifth minute.
It took just one long pass from the impressive André-Frank Zambo Anguissa to open United. Lookman finished brilliantly, firing only to the right side of the area before launching a low, hard shot into the far corner. Solskjær will wonder when and where to play the pass. But his team pressed immediately, Pogba moved the ball very well through midfield.
First Bruno Fernandes crashed a shot against the foot of the post from outside the area. Moments later he crossed from the left, the ball was taken out of the hand by Alphonse Areola and Cavani, lurking just in the right place, he finished in an orderly fashion. Cavani celebrated with a shout. This was his first goal after ban.
Pogba ran the game in patches in that first half. Before kick-off, United’s star midfielder had walked among his teammates to cheer them on. Here he passed awkwardly at first, but showed such calm and skill on the ball that his air of command seemed to extend through the red jerseys.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka made good ground several times down the right, crossing for Anthony Martial to head some more with half an hour to go. By now, the game had settled into the predictable pressure of red possession. But the Fulham midfield pivot proved to be an aggressive and pressing obstacle, with Lookman always busy at halftime.
Fulham was also brilliant early in the second half, Harrison Reed fired hard over the bar after more good work from Lookman. United seemed a cautious team at times even when hogging the ball, with Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly stationed 20 meters behind the red line in front of them and rarely came close to allow midfield to move on.
Loftus-Cheek showed off some fine touches down the right, setting up Lookman on a shot that David de Gea saved comfortably. Pogba produced a beautiful whipped deep cross. And with 64 minutes elapsed, the game seemed to be drifting 1-1, with Fulham still showing real discipline in midfield.
At that moment, Pogba came in, who shot the ball out of the sky over the right flank, wandered inside, saw the space in front of him and hit a wonderful curling shot inside the far post. The ball made an exciting fizz as it came out of Pogba’s boot, and a clang as the net jumped. At the halfway point, this season could, frankly, go either way for any of these teams at the top. But this was a champion ability.
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Fulham pressed hard and had a chance to equalize shortly after, Loftus-Cheek saw his low shot well saved by De Gea. Another good run opened the possibility for him to go miles over the bar.
Upon death, United welcomed Wan-Bissaka’s great challenge. This was a win for perseverance on a miserable night, and for those deeper gears provided by an increasingly impressive star midfielder.
