Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty for the visitors before Leny Yoro’s deflected header gave them a lead they failed to hold on to.
Emile Smith Rowe equalised for Fulham (Adam Davy/PA)
Emile Smith Rowe equalised for Fulham (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
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Emile Smith Rowe scored with his first touch to deny Manchester United a first win of the season in a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Smith Rowe tucked home Alex Iwobi’s cross to cancel out Rodrigo Muniz’s own goal and end United’s incredible run of eight successive victories at Craven Cottage.
Visiting captain Bruno Fernandes also missed a first-half penalty on a frustrating afternoon for United boss Ruben Amorim,
For the last 40 minutes United fielded their new £200million frontline of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, but all they had to show for it was a deflected header from teenage centre-back Leny Yoro which went in off Muniz.
Sesko started on the bench with Mason Mount leading the line and Rasmus Hojlund, linked with a move away next week, conspicuous by his absence in the squad.
The visitors almost took the lead inside two minutes when Mount laid the ball back to Cunha whose deliberate, sidefooted shot went through the legs of Calvin Bassey and hit the foot of Bernd Leno’s post.
Fulham’s first opportunity arrived in the 12th minute when fit-again Ryan Sessegnon’s clever flick played Josh King through on goal.
But Altay Bayindir, preferred to Andre Onana in the United goal despite his costly error in the opening-day defeat by Arsenal, was out quickly to make a good save.
United are understood to be in talks with Royal Antwerp about a move for their goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Bayindir’s limitations were there for all to see as he caused blind panic in his own penalty area at three corners in the first half alone.
However, his distribution is a clear upgrade on Onana’s, illustrated when a drilled clearance flew all the way into the Fulham box and dropped over the shoulder of Cunha, who controlled it in an instant before forcing a point-blank stop from Leno.
The match really burst into life after half an hour when the VAR spotted some grappling in the area between Bassey and Mount at a corner.
Replays showed the Fulham defender had virtually thrown Mount over his shoulder to the ground, WWE style.
Referee Chris Kavanagh went to the screen before announcing his decision to the obvious dismay of Fulham boss Marco Silva.
However, Bassey and Silva cheered up considerably at the sight of Fernandes blazing his spot-kick high into the Hammersmith End.
Amorim sent on Sesko in place of Casemiro in the 51st minute and the goal arrived seven minutes later from the unlikely source of Yoro, who met Mbeumo’s corner with a header which hit the back of Muniz and wrongfooted Leno as it flew into the net.
However, Fulham responded in the 72nd minute when Iwobi’s ball into the box was missed by Matthijs de Ligt and prodded home by former Arsenal forward Smith Rowe.
It was another defender, substitute Harry Maguire, who almost snatched the win for United but his late header flew wide as Fulham held out for a point.