The Premier League season is up and running, and Manchester United and Fulham had the pleasure of opening the season with their Friday night clash. With a fairly balanced showing between the sides, it was from the bench where the difference was made, as new boy Zirkzee scored on debut to give United a first win of the season and temporarily to the top of the Premier League overnight.

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Teams

United start the season with a strong looking XI, however only 1 of their new additions started from the outset. With Mazraoui showing some promising signs on debut, it was De Ligt and Zirkzee in particular who had impressed in their cameos, with the later combining with Garnacho to win the game.

For Fulham, they started some of their new names from the start, but resorted to the bench later on to try and gain control and get something positive in front of goal. It was also another return to Old Trafford for Pereira, a pre-season cult hero of United’s past.

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Martinez, Maguire (Evans 81′), Mazraoui (De Ligt 81′), Mainoo (McTominay 84′), Casemiro, Rashford, Mount (Zirkzee 61′), Amad (Garnacho 61′), Fernandes

Subs: Bayindir, Eriksen, Collyer, Antony

Fulham: Leno, Robinson, Bassey, Diop, Tete, Lukic (Reed 90′), Pereira (Stansfield 90′), Iwobi, Smith Rowe (Cairney 64′), Traore (Wilson 78′), Muniz (Jimenez 78′)

Subs: Benda, Cuenca, Castagne, King

Manchester United 1-0 Fulham

The opening night of the 2024/25 Premier League at Manchester United was far from vintage, but it did the job. United edged out Fulham 1–0 thanks to a late strike from new signing Joshua Zirkzee. With the crowd growing restless and chances hard to come by for most of the evening, Zirkzee’s 87th-minute finish sparked huge relief among the home fans and secured a winning start for the season.

For much of the match, United looked dangerous but lacked composure. Early on, a burst by Marcus Rashford was ruled offside within the first minute, and although the Reds gradually took control, winning midfield battles and creating openings, efforts from captain Bruno Fernandes and mid-season arrival Mason Mount were both denied by Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Down the other end, United’s keeper André Onana also had to be alert, pulling off solid saves when Fulham looked to threaten on the break.

The decision to bring on Zirkzee, along with Alejandro Garnacho, proved decisive. Garnacho delivered a low cross from the right and Zirkzee reacted quickly, poking the ball past Leno to spark celebrations around the Stretford End. That late moment of quality gave United all three points, while also providing early justification for the club’s summer investment. Zirkzee was deservedly named “Man of the Match.”

Talking Points

The opening-day win over Fulham gave Manchester United a much-needed boost to start the 2024/25 season. The 1–0 victory at Old Trafford didn’t exactly reflect the dominant, free-flowing football fans would have hoped for, but in many ways that made it more valuable: three points on the board, nerves settled, and a sense of optimism restored. In tight games like this early in the season, a win, however scrappy, can do wonders for momentum.

The story of the match, of course, was Joshua Zirkzee. Coming on as a substitute just after the hour mark, he marked his first appearance for United with a calm, composed finish into the net in the 87th minute, a final touch on a low cross from Alejandro Garnacho. That goal proved decisive, and earned Zirkzee well-deserved plaudits as the match-winner on his debut. It was the kind of moment that can quickly endear a new signing to the Old Trafford faithful and shift the atmosphere around the team.

That said, the performance was far from flawless. United controlled possession, edging roughly 55 % of it, and created more opportunities overall, but they still struggled for real attacking fluency for large portions of the game. Chances fell to key players like Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount, only for the opposition keeper to deny them, while at the back United had to deal with a few moments of genuine vulnerability. All told, it was a win shaped by patience, late inspiration and a timely finishing touch, not a statement of dominance.