Bottom of the table Fulham leave United feeling cross as they snatch late injury time equaliser in 2-2 draw.
David Moyes' Manchester United team were hoping to make up for a poor result away to Stoke by claiming their second consecutive home victory at Old Trafford. The visitors were Fulham, a team struggling to get off the foot of the table. Phil Jones was ruled out for the reds after the injury he picked up at Stoke with Jonny Evans also out with the calf injury he sustained in the same match. This meant Chris Smalling and Nemanja Vidic were picked in central defence. Kieran Richardson started for Fulham against his former club whilst Ryan Tunnicliffe made his debut against the club he signed from. Johnny Heitinga was another debutant and Sascha Riether returned to the line-up after overcoming an injury set-back.
It was a relatively low-key start to the game with United looking the stronger side until some brilliance from Holtby allowed Sidwell to ghost past United's sleeping defenders and guide the ball home to give Fulham a shock lead inside twenty minutes. It seemed to come from nowhere but it was a lovely move by the team in white as Holtby chipped the ball over the defence and into the path of Sidwell, who had timed his run perfectly. He then finished the move with a well-executed finish that highlighted a huge lapse in concentration from the United defenders.
United desperately tried to make the most of their attacking quartet of Young, Rooney, Van Persie and Mata but couldn't convert their chances with Van Persie volleying wide at the far post from Rafael's cross and Young heading Mata's cross straight at Stekelenburg from a similar position moments later. To be fair to the Fulham keeper, he made a good save with both hands to keep the effort out. United were enjoying plenty of possession around the Fulham box and put in cross after cross but couldn't seem to break them down. This made them susceptible to being caught on the counter-attack by the away team, who should have been two up after they caught them on the break just before half time. Tankovic burst forward with pace and made what looked like a smart decision to play in Richardson. However, the former United man spurned the chance and blazed it over the bar.
Despite that chance and being a goal ahead, from the stats it seemed incredible that United were yet to score. It wasn't from lack of trying, United worked the Fulham keeper before the half was over as Carrick did well to get a good shot away inside a crowded box before a Van Persie effort was heroically blocked again by Stekelenburg and cleared.
The second half began much like the first with United playing most of their football in and around the Fulham area but with Stekelenburg and his defence performing brilliantly to deny them. A brilliant save with his right hand ensured a Rooney effort that was goal-bound went over the bar rather than into the back of the net. Just when it seemed like it wasn't going to be United's day after they had a penalty appeal turned down for handball against Burn, they managed to break Fulham down and scored two in quick succession.
It was from a combination of Mata and Van Persie that United got their first as Mata got a second chance at goal after his intial one was well blocked. The Spaniard hit it across goal for Van Persie to tap in to put United back on level terms with just over ten minutes to play. Once they'd got one in the back of the net it was less than two minutes before they had Stekelenburg picking the ball out of his goal for a second time. Substitute Januzaj whipped in a cross that was headed out to Carrick who shot from the edge of the area and saw it take a deflection before it looped into the far corner to give United a deserved lead.
It looked like United had the points wrapped up and they could have scored a third deep into injury time when Mata sent a shot just wide of the post. The noisy United faithful will have wished it went in as the game still wasn't over and Fulham punished them in the fourth minute of stoppage time to earn themselves a point. Vidic sent a poor header into the path of Sidwell who played in Richardson on the left. He then shot at De Gea who saved it but it left the ball high in the air in the perfect place for Bent to head into an empty net.
It was a terrible end to the game for Moyes' men who looked to have made a brilliant comeback and secured a third successive home league victory. Unlike in some other games where they've dropped points, in this tie they really took the game to Fulham, putting in an incredible 81 crosses throughout the match. It remains to be seen whether the draw can be attributed to a lack of quality from these crosses or whether it was simply due to an impressive defensive display from Fulham but after today it certainly seems like United won't be playing Champions League football next season.
