Cunha's late leveller spares United after week to forget
Matheus Cunha rescued Manchester United with a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 Premier League draw at Fulham on 20 September 2026.
United had fallen behind to a Lisandro Martinez own goal, an accidental score into his own net. Cunha answered from the edge of the area. His shot clipped David Affengruber, wrong-footed goalkeeper Bernd Leno and dropped into the opposite corner The Guardian.
The point stopped the bleeding. United arrived at Craven Cottage in London after a painful week at Old Trafford. They lost the derby to Manchester City the previous Sunday, then went out of the Carabao Cup, England's early-season knockout competition, to Brighton in midweek The Guardian.
Michael Carrick was in charge of United against a Fulham side managed by Alvaro Arbeloa. Carrick had to improvise. Striker Benjamin Sesko missed the trip with injury, while Luke Shaw returned on the left side of the defence The Guardian.
With Sesko out, Cunha played as a false nine, a striker who drops deep to link play rather than staying on the last defender, with Bruno Fernandes close to him. It gave United clever movement between the lines. It did not give them a fast start.
Fulham had prepared for a different United. A pre-match analysis by the home club described a remodelled midfield under Carrick Fulham FC. On the day, both teams found space hard to come by until the goals changed the rhythm.
There was plenty riding on it. A win would have lifted United above Chelsea in the table, while Fulham needed a two-goal victory to climb above United BBC Sport. In the end, neither side got what they wanted.
Cunha has made a habit of leading this team. He led the line in all three league games before the Manchester derby, after scoring 10 goals in his debut 2025/26 campaign for United. He was blunt after this draw, saying United cannot start playing only after falling behind Premier League.
For fans, this means relief mixed with frustration. One swing of Cunha's boot saved a third straight defeat in all competitions. The noise was different at the end. Strangers hugged. The away corner found its voice again. United now have to find that urgency from the first whistle, not just when the game is slipping away.
