premier league,
Round 5
Fulham
FOOL
20/09/2026
4:30 p.m
Manchester United
WILL
-
place
- Craven Cottage
-
referee
- Peter Banks
Fulham-Manchester United preview
Michael Carrick insists there is no sense of crisis Manchester United after a woeful week in which they suffered two damaging home defeats.
United went down 1-0 to derby rivals Manchester City last Sunday despite playing most of the game with a man advantage after Phil Foden was sent off in the first half.
And that was followed by a 3-2 defeat against Brighton in the EFL Cup. It was the first time since 1976 that United had lost after building a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford.
These results have inevitably increased the pressure on Carrick, who did wonders last season to guide United into the Champions League after a chaotic spell under Ruben Amorim.
But the former England midfielder called for calm ahead of Sunday’s trip Fulham.
He said: “We have to put things into perspective, it’s not a catastrophe or a disaster, it’s not the end of the world. We’re not in a place where we’ve gone with a long run of horrible outcomes.
“We’ve lost a couple of games recently. We believe we’ve started and been in every game we’ve played, we’re not having a real fight all the time. We’ve done a lot of good things, that’s where the belief comes from. The good things we’ve done get lost in the feeling around it, but we don’t lose it.”
Carrick was quick to take responsibility for the recent slump in results.
He added: “That’s why I’m here. It’s my responsibility, I’m fine with it. It’s not a blame game. We’re always looking for things to look at and find fault, sometimes it’s too much.
“Blame me, no problem, I’ll take responsibility, but it’s not about blaming people. It’s about finding solutions. It’s all a collective thing. It’s about what you really focus on. I’m perfectly happy to take responsibility. No problem with that, it doesn’t bother me. I know where we want to go and we want to get there quickly.”
Carrick, however, was quick to dismiss suggestions he needed to show more emotion.
“Do I need to show more emotion? In what way? What do you want me to show?” he bristled.
Carrick’s Fulham counterpart Alvaro Arbeloa is also under scrutiny with his side third from bottom in the Premier League, despite picking up their first point last weekend with an impressive goalless draw at Liverpool.
The former Real Madrid manager said: “All managers in the Premier League are under pressure, it’s the same for all managers and it’s not because (of) what comes from outside, it’s because you have to be very demanding of yourself.
“All the managers, we want to win every weekend and for sure when you are a manager of a big team you are always under pressure, but the same for me because I need to win games. I think both teams will want to win the game on Sunday, so it will be a good battle.”
Premier League table
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position 1, 2, 3, 4: Promotion – Champions League (League stage)
-
position 5: Promotion – Europa League (League phase)
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position 18, 19, 20: Relegation – Championship
Fulham v Manchester United team news
Fulham will be without Kenny Tete as he goes through concussion protocols. Veteran midfielder Tom Cairney is unavailable.
Carlos Baleba could make his United debut, likely from the bench, while Luke Shaw struggles for fitness. Having made changes for the Brighton game, Carrick will recall his big hitters, including captain Bruno Fernandes.
Matthijs de Ligt, Amad Diallo and Manuel Ugarte are styles on the sidelines.
Expected lineups for Fulham-Manchester United
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi, Charles, Bobb, King; Garcia
Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Dorgu; Tielemans, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha, Sesko
Fulham v Manchester United recent form and stats
- Manchester United lost a two-goal lead at home to Brighton in the EFL Cup in midweek. It was the first time since 1976 that a Red Devils side had thrown away a two-goal lead to lose at Old Trafford.
- United have lost just once in their last 21 Premier League meetings with Fulham, losing 2-1 at Old Trafford in February 2024
- Fulham are winless in their last 10 home Premier League games against United (D2 D8) since winning back-to-back games against them at Craven Cottage in 2009.
- Fulham’s attack has been toothless in 2026. Fulham have failed to score in 10 Premier League games in 2026, more than any other team.
Where to watch Fulham vs Manchester United: TV and online broadcasts
Kick-off is 4.30pm BST on Sunday at Craven Cottage. The match is live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. You can stream it on the Sky Go app.
Details of the global issue can be found at premierleague.com.
Fulham – Manchester United Prediction
There are unlikely to be too many, but United have more players who can produce moments of magic.
Expect Fernandes or Marcus Rashford to be the winners.
Fulham
0-1
Manchester United