Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to score a 94th-minute winner as Man Utd survived a Fulham fightback to make it three wins in a row under Michael Carrick and move into the top four.
Fulham substitute Kevin followed up Raul Jimenez's late penalty with a super strike to level things up in added time but, in another classic under the new boss, Sesko struck as Carrick matched Ruben Amorim's longest Premier League winning streak at Man Utd in dramatic fashion.
Player ratings:
Man Utd:: Lammens (7); Dalot (6), Maguire (6), Martinez (6), Shaw (6); Mainoo (6), Casemiro (7); Amad (6), Fernandes (8), Cunha (8); Mbeumo (6)
Subs: Sesko (7), Mazraoui (n/a), Yoro (n/a)
Fulham: Leno (5); Castagne (5), Andersen (6), Cuenca (5), Robinson (5); Berge (6), Iwobi (6); Wilson (6), Smith Rowe (5), Chukwueze (6); Jimenez (6)
Subs: Sessegnon (6),Cairney (n/a) , Bassey (n/a), Kevin (7)
Player of the Match: Bruno Fernades
After impressively beating Arsenal in a similar fashion when Matheus Cunha's late dagger secured the win last week, Carrick's United passed another test that had its fair share of VAR controversy.
The first incident came in the build-up to Man Utd's opener as they were initially awarded a penalty after Cunha was judged to have been brought down by Cuenca. However, after a VAR check, the decision was overturned and the hosts were given a free-kick instead from just outside the area.
Why was Man Utd's penalty overturned to give a free-kick?
Manchester United were awarded a free-kick for the shirt pull on Matheus Cunha because referee John Brooks had originally given the penalty for a shirt pull and not for a trip.
In that case, the VAR could intervene by declaring the decision a factual error and award a free-kick instead.
Having announced his departure at the end of the season, Casemiro is enjoying a Man Utd farewell tour, heading home a Bruno Fernandes delivery for his fifth of the campaign.
Cunha, who made a return to the starting line-up in the only change to the side in place of the injured Patrick Dorgu, thundered in to double Man Utd's advantage.
Fulham thought they had pulled one back when Cuenca tapped in a deflected Samuel Chukwueze shot that fell kindly into his path. However, after a VAR check that lasted around four minutes, the goal was ruled out for offside.
However, when Harry Maguire felled Harry Wilson in the area, allowing Jimenez to score from the spot, before Kevin's stunning equaliser looked like it had rescued a point, Marco Silva's side set up a grandstand finish.
But Sesko, who scored his fifth goal of the season, set up by Fernandes, had different ideas. A resurgent Man Utd are now five points off third place in the Premier League. Fulham drop to eighth.
More to follow.
Story of the match in stats...
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