Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United are looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League.
When Manchester United travel to Craven Cottage on Sunday, two managers will be under fire in the dugouts. The last thing Michael Carrick needs is to go into the extended international break having lost another match.
The Reds have won only two of six since the start of the season, and Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton means they’re out of the Carabao Cup after the third round. Luckily, Fulham haven’t been any better, so there’s a feeling this is a good opportunity for Carrick’s side to win a match after suffering back-to-back defeats.
With that in mind, I have put together five noteworthy things ahead of Fulham vs United at Craven Cottage.
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First time Man Utd won’t be wearing red at Craven Cottage
United will wear the new blue Adidas trifoil kit against Fulham on Sunday.
This won’t be one that the traditionalists will agree with, as it will mark the first time United won’t be wearing red at Craven Cottage. They will rightly argue it’s a further sign of the club prioritising commercialism over traditionalism – something United fans care little about and something fans care a lot about.
Fulham will play in their traditional white strip with black patterns, so there isn’t a good reason for United not to play in a red shirt, white shorts and black socks. The reason they are doing so is to promote a new kit to boost sales.
Complaints aside, it’s probably the best kit from the three released this season. That doesn’t mean I will be rushing to the megastore or modelling it next week.
Fulham winless in the Premier League
Fulham may have restored some confidence in the past week after building on their point at Liverpool with Carabao Cup progression against West Ham, but they haven’t won a single Premier League match after four attempts.
There will be savage backlash for Carrick if United don’t get the job done at Craven Cottage. Not just because of Fulham’s abysmal record, but because their record isn’t much worse than ours, having won just once in the league this season – against newly promoted Ipswich Town.
Alvaro Arbeloa has thus far been unable to carry on the work of Marco Silva at Fulham. They’ve mustered one point from the first four matches and look vulnerable defensively.
It is also worth noting that Fulham took one point from their two meetings against United in the 2025/26 season, with Carrick getting the better of Silva.
Man Utd’s healthy record away at Fulham
Carrick is under immense pressure after United’s disappointing start to the season, though he may have seen the calendar and thought a trip to Craven Cottage is exactly what his team needs.
I say this without underestimating Arbeloa’s side because United have fallen against multiple teams they should have beaten this season. That surely means no opponent can be underestimated.
Fulham will be hoping to end a 17-year wait for a home win against United, with the Reds winning 12 of their 20 Premier League visits to Craven Cottage. That is a record United need to build on after a week of unwanted records.
Man Utd’s last two Premier League meetings at Craven Cottage
Fulham 1-1 Manchester United
Fulham 0-1 Manchester United
Michael Carrick vs Alvaro Arbeloa
This will be the first time Carrick faces Arbeloa as a coach, but the pair crossed paths during their playing careers. Getting one over the opponent means slightly more when both managers are under pressure in their jobs.
The first two meetings saw United beat Liverpool 1-0, as Carrick came out on top, but Arbeloa would experience joy on two occasions before transferring to Real Madrid.
In total, Arbeloa won three matches compared to Carrick’s two. One meeting – in the Champions League – ended in a 1-1 draw. Sunday’s match will be different as the two men will be standing on the touchline.
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Potential debut for Carlos Baleba
In his press conference on Friday, Carrick said new signing Carlos Baleba has a chance of returning from injury against Fulham. The 22-year-old has spent the start of this season recovering from an ankle injury.
It’s approaching four months since Baleba made his final appearance for Brighton. That means he’s going to be rusty – in terms of match sharpness at least – and he’s got a huge job to do when he returns, trying to protect United’s goal-leaking defence.
Any involvement at Craven Cottage would presumably be only as a substitute, and, as eager as Baleba will be to make his debut, United must be mindful that a return could prompt a call-up from the Cameroon national team.