Bruno Fernandes missed a first-half penalty as Manchester United were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, leaving both teams still searching for their first Premier League win of the season.
United went ahead in the second half when teenager Leny Yoro rose to meet a Bryan Mbeumo corner, his header deflecting off Rodrigo Muniz and wrong-footing Bernd Leno. But the visitors’ lead lasted less than two minutes, as substitute Emile Smith Rowe scored with his very first touch, stabbing home an Alex Iwobi cross to earn Fulham a point.
The game could have turned earlier when United captain Fernandes stepped up from the spot after VAR penalized Calvin Bassey for dragging down Mason Mount. However, the Portuguese midfielder skied his effort over the bar, later admitting he was unsettled when referee Chris Kavanagh accidentally bumped into him before the run-up.
“That’s not an excuse for missing,” Fernandes said afterwards. “I just had a very bad hit on the ball.”
United had looked dangerous early on, with Matheus Cunha striking the post and forcing a sharp save from Leno. But Fulham grew into the contest and finished strongly, pressing high after Smith Rowe’s equalizer and nearly snatching a late winner.
The result marked Fulham’s first home point against Manchester United in nine attempts, lifting Marco Silva’s side to 13th in the table with two points from two games. New manager Ruben Amorim is still waiting for his first win in charge of United, who sit 16th after back-to-back draws.
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