Manchester United are under pressure to get points on the board when they face Fulham in the Premier League.
A 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford was not the start Ruben Amorim would have dreamed up for Manchester United in 2025/26.
However, there were plenty of positives in United’s performance and fans can feel positive about what lies ahead this season.
Next up for the Red Devils is a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on Sunday afternoon, and Amorim can learn from his last clash against the Londoners.
Matthijs de Ligt playing for Manchester United
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Man United star was a ‘defensive titan’ against Fulham
United completed a Premier League double over Fulham last season, with Amorim picking up a 1-0 at Craven Cottage in January.
But United’s latest meeting against Fulham was actually at Old Trafford in the 5th round of the FA Cup when the Red Devils were defeated on penalties after drawing 1-1 in 120 minutes.
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In that match, Matthijs de Ligt was a ‘defensive titan’. He was easily one of United’s best performers and did not deserve to be on the losing side.
Interestingly, United struggled against Fulham’s set pieces, which was also the major issue in the defeat to Arsenal over the weekend. Matthijs de Ligt’s presence in the box is needed on Sunday afternoon.
Matthijs de Ligt was incredible against Arsenal and deserves to stay in XI
Heading into the first game of the season, Amorim faced a big decision on who would be his starting centre-back in the heart of the back three.
Harry Maguire impressed over pre-season, but it was De Ligt who was given the nod to start and he certainly delivered for Amorim.
De Ligt was outstanding against Arsenal even when United pushed high and left him one-against-one in the backline.
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He handled new Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres brilliantly, constantly denying the Swedish star a moment of peace on the ball.
Ian Wright raved about De Ligt’s performance, and he did more than enough to justify keeping his spot in the XI to face Fulham on Sunday.