Fulham 0-1 Man Utd: Match report & talking points as Red Devils secure vital victory | OneFootball

Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham on Sunday evening courtesy of Lisandro Martinez's deflected strike.

Fulham narrowly shaded a stodgy and insipid first half but struggled to get the home faithful out of their seats often. Those in the away end were similarly underwhelmed by their side's lethargy in the final third as United failed to even test Bernd Leno before the interval.

The second half was similarly slow-paced but Martinez produced the defining moment for the Red Devils in the 78th minute as his deflected effort earned Ruben Amorim some breathing space and lifted United to 12th in the Premier League.

How the game unfolded

Neither team came racing out of the blocks at Craven Cottage but it was Fulham who forged the most promising openings during the early stages. Alex Iwobi twice called Andre Onana into routine saves and Emile Smith Rowe was denied by Martinez's last-ditch block after United surrendered possession in their own half.

The travelling supporters voiced their frustrations at their side's lack of attacking inspiration on the half-hour mark as Fulham's defence stifled the likes of Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho with little fuss. Rasmus Hojlund managed just 17 touches during the first half - fewer than Onana - while United didn't have their first attempt on goal until the 42nd minute.

Bruno Fernandes provided United's first moment of invention after the restart as his free-kick glided under the Fulham wall and into the side netting, with Amorim soon turning to his bench in search of ingenuity. Joshua Zirkzee entered the fray just before the hour mark hoping to produce another match-winner against the Cottagers having scored a debut strike in the reverse fixture.

The Dutchman certainly didn't make an immediate impact for United as they continued to make hard work of their trip to the capital. Adama Traore almost made their evening worse with 15 minutes to spare but the Fulham substitute blazed an encouraging opening over the crossbar.

It felt as if a moment of genius or a stroke of luck would decide a drab affair and the latter proved United's saviour in the 78th minute. Martinez's long-range effort took an enormous deflection off Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic before spiralling beyond Leno's reach and into the top corner.

Fulham looked unlikely to produce an equaliser but did have the odd chance in the dying embers. Toby Collyer cleared off the line from Joachim Andersen's header before Rodrigo Muniz fired over the crossbar from close range. The Brazilian will have been frustrated not to have done better.

Amad thought he had wrapped up victory in stoppage time as he nestled a shot into the bottom corner, but United had to settle for a one-goal victory after VAR ruled out the forward's strike for a marginal offside.

Check out the player ratings from Fulham vs Man Utd here.

Man Utd labour to victory

Man Utd were unconvincing in victory / GLYN KIRK/GettyImages

Well, it wasn't pretty, but United won't care. The Red Devils were largely uninspiring as they secured a significant victory over a lifeless Fulham team, with luck on their side as they managed just their second Premier League win of the new year.

Following their recent struggles, Sunday's win will feel euphoric despite United still lacking cohesion and consistency, especially in the final third. Amorim was unable to produce a masterplan that unlocked Fulham but he will at least be proud of his side's defensive efforts and ability to grind out the kind of result they have been failing to produce for much of the season.

It's a victory that papers over the cracks rather than turning the corner, but it's a vital three points nonetheless.

Rasmus Hojlund delivers frustrating display

Rasmus Hojlund struggled in the capital / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

Having started the last two United matches on the bench, Hojlund was shown a vote of confidence by Amorim in west London. Thrust into the starting XI to battle two physical centre-halves, the Denmark international was hopeful of ending his ten-game goal drought.

However, the goals were not forthcoming for Hojlund, who produced a remarkably underwhelming display. He failed to create a single chance or take aim at goal, managing just six accurate passes during his 58 minutes on the pitch.

United went direct at times and Hojlund was the man often on the receiving end of long vertical passes, but the forward surrendered possession far too easily. He lost nine of his 11 duels as the ball frequently bounced off his shins and fell back into Fulham hands.

If this was an audition for a starting spot in the future, he will not be receiving a callback.

Toby Collyer made a vital contribution / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

Eyebrows may have been raised when Collyer was brought on to replace the injured Manuel Ugarte ahead of Kobbie Mainoo, who had to wait until later in the match to enter the pitch. The youngster has enjoyed an encouraging breakout season but still lacks the experience and technical quality of his fellow academy graduate.

However, while Collyer didn't have too much to do as United snuck victory, he made an absolutely pivotal contribution. With the clock ticking down and Fulham pushing for a leveller, the 21-year-old was in the right place at the right time as he cleared Andersen's effort off the line from a corner.

Stooping low to spare United's blushes, Collyer produced a clutch moment on a night of little drama, and was quickly mobbed by teammates after an impressive intervention. He was rightly singled out for praise by match-winner Martinez after the whistle as he saved his side from a late slip-up.