Iwobi Assist Ends Manchester United’s Winning Run at Craven Cottage

Iwobi Assist Ends Manchester United’s Winning Run at Craven Cottage

By Niyi Busari 

Manchester United’s eight-match winning streak at Craven Cottage came to an end on Sunday as Fulham battled back to earn a 1-1 Premier League draw, with substitute Emile Smith Rowe scoring a debut equaliser from an Alex Iwobi assist.

United had the chance to go ahead in the first half when Mason Mount was fouled by Calvin Bassey in the box, but captain Bruno Fernandes squandered the opportunity, sending his penalty over the crossbar.

The visitors eventually found the breakthrough in the 58th minute in fortunate fashion. Leny Yoro rose to meet Bryan Mbeumo’s corner, and his header deflected off Rodrigo Muniz before wrong-footing Bernd Leno and rolling into the net.

Fulham, however, responded swiftly. Just 93 seconds after coming on, Smith Rowe latched onto Iwobi’s precise delivery and finished from close range to restore parity in the 72nd minute.

United’s expensive new frontline of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo was introduced but struggled to find a way past Fulham’s resolute defence. Sesko rattled the post early on, while Cunha forced a strong save from Leno.

At the other end, Ryan Sessegnon — back from injury — nearly put Fulham ahead in the first half when played through by Josh King, but goalkeeper Altay Bayindir rushed out to deny him. The Turkish shot-stopper looked more composed in distribution compared to Andre Onana, though he appeared vulnerable when dealing with set pieces.

The result halts United’s winning momentum at Craven Cottage, while Marco Silva’s Fulham will take encouragement from their resilience against one of the league’s biggest-spending sides.

Smith Rowe, delighted to score on his debut, said:

“We are very competitive in training. We all want to score goals and contribute to the team. When we come off the bench, we have to work hard and make an impact.”

United remain in search of consistency under new manager Ruben Amorim, while Fulham earned a morale-boosting point to stay competitive in mid-table.