Cunha late goal rescues United but Carrick disputes player criticism

Manchester United salvaged a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday, September 20, 2026, thanks to a late deflected goal from Matheus Cunha, but the result did little to ease the growing pressure on manager Michael Carrick. The draw extended United's winless Premier League run to three matches and left them with only five points from their first five games, their joint-worst return at this stage of a season. Cunha's 89th-minute strike, which took a heavy deflection off defender David Affengruber, rescued a point after Lisandro Martínez had scored an own goal in the 63rd minute. The defender's miscued clearance followed a fumble by goalkeeper Senne Lammens, summarizing a disjointed performance from the visitors. The match sparked a public disagreement between Carrick and his own player over the team's effort. Cunha criticized United's work rate, particularly at the start of the second half, calling it unacceptable. "In the beginning of the second half, Fulham put in more energy than us and we cannot accept this," Cunha said. "We always play better after conceding a goal, and it cannot be like this." Carrick directly disputed this assessment.