August 16th 2024.
It was a thrilling night at Old Trafford as Manchester United kicked off their Premier League season against Fulham. The home team came away with a 1-0 victory, thanks to the heroics of debutant Joshua Zirkzee. The summer signing from Bologna made an immediate impact as he scored the winning goal in the dying minutes of the game.
Fulham started off strong, with Manchester United struggling to find their footing in the first 15-20 minutes. The visitors were looking bright and Kenny Tete even came close to scoring with a beautiful curled effort that was saved by Andre Onana. But as the first half progressed, the Red Devils found their rhythm and started dominating the game.
Bruno Fernandes missed two golden opportunities to score, first taking advantage of a mistake from Fulham's goalkeeper Bernd Leno and then being set up by a brilliant pass from Casemiro. But both times, he failed to find the back of the net. The frustration was mounting for Manchester United, but they continued to push forward in search of a goal.
In a surprising turn of events, Harry Maguire was booked for diving in an attempt to win a penalty. It was a clumsy move and Emile Smith Rowe was quick to spot it. Despite this setback, Manchester United remained the better team in the second half, with Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo coming close to scoring.
Fulham, however, were not to be underestimated and they had a great opportunity to score when Andreas Pereira and Alex Iwobi went on a counter-attack. It was only Maguire's presence that prevented them from getting a shot on goal. As the clock ticked on, Manchester United's manager Erik ten Hag made some strategic substitutions, bringing on Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho.
And it was these two substitutes who combined to break the deadlock in the 87th minute. Garnacho swung in a cross from the right and Zirkzee, with quick thinking and skill, managed to poke the ball into the bottom corner of the net, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Despite a late chance for Marcus Rashford, who was set up by a mistake from Fulham's Calvin Bassey, Manchester United were unable to add to their lead. But it didn't matter, as the final whistle blew and they claimed a crucial three points.
It was an exciting start to the season for Manchester United and their fans couldn't be happier. With Zirkzee's debut heroics and the team's determination, it was a promising start to what looks to be a promising season ahead.
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