Man Utd 1-0 Fulham: Player ratings as Joshua Zirkzee spares Red Devils’ blushes on dream debut | OneFootball

The 2024/25 Premier League season officially got underway when record English champions Manchester United hosted Fulham on Friday evening.

Having often struggled in front of their home support last season, this game looked to be heading in the same direction until debutant Joshua Zirkzee, who joined after impressing at Bologna, saved the day with an 87th-minute winner.

The visitors had their opportunities, and they should have made them count when forcing United onto the back foot, which they sparingly did throughout the game. Marco Silva will regret several missed opportunities, including a well-executed counter-attack that fell apart at the last moment.

As the dust begins to settle, here are how the players rated at Old Trafford:

Man Utd

André Onana – 7 – Made some notable interventions and looked calm when those in front appeared to be shaky.

Noussair Mazraoui – 6.5 – Handed a full debut mere days after completing his switch from Bayern Munich to reunite with former Ajax boss Ten Hag, who deployed the Moroccan international at right back, though he’s capable of performing on the opposite flank. This was an encouraging first performance that lasted 80 minutes.

Lisandro Martínez – 6 – The combination of foot, knee, and calf injuries ultimately reduced Martínez to only 11 league appearances last season. How badly do Ten Hag and Manchester United’s faithful hope the World Cup winner does not get injured this season. He seemed a bit rusty, with some errant passes, but he did make a great interception as Fulham pressed late on.

Harry Maguire – 5.5 – Booked for simulation on the stroke of half-time. Something you’d never expect from the United centre-back. On a positive note, he brilliantly halted a threatening counter from Fulham midway through the second half.

Diogo Dalot – 6.5 – Tasked with monitoring the electric Adama Traoré, it was a captivating battle. That said, United mainly attacked down his side, with the usually reliable Portuguese full-back often drifting inside.

Casemiro – 7 – Many had expected the decorated Brazilian international to have left Old Trafford by now after he was constantly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia all summer. Casemiro remained and put in a commendable shift alongside Mainoo and could have added to his overall tally for the club.

Kobbie Mainoo – 7 – Another solid outing for Man Utd’s teenage virtuoso who completed 37 of his 41 passes while registering a game-high five interceptions.

Marcus Rashford – 6 – This was Rashford’s first competitive outing after Gareth Southgate dropped him from England’s squad at Euro 2024, which didn’t surprise many as the forward performed well below his standards last season. A new football year means an opportunity to set the record straight. There were some positive moments, but Rashford is yet to rediscover the form that placed him among the league’s best players.

Mason Mount – 5 – Earned the dubious honour of picking up the first yellow card of the 2024/25 season. Yet to set the world on fire since making his move from Chelsea, this was another disappointing outing for the one-time Cobham crown jewel.

Amad Diallo – 5.5 – A solid pre-season in which Diallo seized the opportunity earned him his sixth-ever Premier League start. Now, it’s about retaining that spot and playing regularly; today’s outing wasn’t the most encouraging.

Bruno Fernandes – 6.5 – Starting in a now common, but new, ‘false nine’ role, Fernandes, who usually pulls the strings, often cut a lonely figure when positioned as United’s furthest attacking player. Had two solid chances to break the deadlock.

Substitutes:

Alejandro Garnacho (for Diallo 61) – 7 – Brought in to add cleverness and speed to United’s struggling attack, provided the assist for United’s winning goal.

Joshua Zirkzee (for Mount 61) – 7.5 – Came on to make his official Man Utd debut after the hour mark and made some clever movements before scoring the first goal of the 2024/25 season. He also became the 15th Dutchman to score on his Premier League debut, with four of them now doing so for Man Utd (also Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek).

Matthijs de Ligt (for Mazraoui 81) – N/A – A late sub.

Jonny Evans (for Maguire 81) – N/A – A late sub.

Scott McTominay (for Mainoo 84) – N/A – A late sub.

Fulham

Bernd Leno – 6.5 – Just before the half-hour mark, Leno produced an absolute howler as his attempted clearance presented the ball straight to Casemiro, who released Fernandes, but the Fulham goalkeeper atoned for his error by blocking his effort from point-blank range.

Antonee Robinson – 5.5 – Usually flying down Fulham’s left flank, the American international was often on the back foot as he dealt with Diallo’s threat.

Calvin Bassey – 5 – Went into the referee’s book after a reckless challenge on Mount when there was no need for the Nigerian international to be so committed.

Issa Diop – 5 – An uneventful outing for the French centre-back who didn’t have a consistent presence in his vicinity to trouble him as United began the game fielding a deep-lying forward. He nevertheless kept things neat with his passes.

Kenny Tete – 5.5 – Had the game’s first real shot on goal when he produced a wonderful strike that his former Ajax teammate, Onana, was equal to.

Andreas Pereira – 6 – Back at his former stomping ground, Pereira often struggled to assert his authority or influence as Manchester United overloaded the midfield areas. When it was all on him, the Brazilian let the opportunity slip through his fingers when he failed to execute a decisive pass, with Fulham springing a 2-on-1 counter in the second half.

Sasa Lukic – 5.5 – The busier of Fulham’s two deepest midfielders. Having sat out the conclusion of last season due to injury, this was an opportunity for Lukić to cement his place in Silva’s midfield. And he gave a good account of himself, particularly when it came to effectively distributing the ball, which became a paramount issue as soon as United took control of the game.

Alex Iwobi – 5 – The former Arsenal player returned to Old Trafford with fond memories, having netted a 97th-minute winner for Fulham earlier in the year.

Emile Smith Rowe – 5 – “I can see why Fulham fans are excited about Emile Smith Rowe,” Roy Keane said in the build-up, alluding to his potential soon after breaking into Arsenal’s first team. Injuries blighted Smith Rowe’s development, but he can rekindle that promise at Fulham, with the spotlight particularly on him this evening. This was an inauspicious outing for the debutant.

Adama Traoré – 5.5 – Blazed a shot wide after the buildup was promising. “Traoré’s end product has always been his biggest problem,” Gary Neville quipped on Sky Sports commentary. Traoré’s pace can cause problems, but he has struggled for consistency at Fulham, and today was an extension of those frustrations.

Rodrigo Muniz – 5 – During a hot streak, Muniz scored eight goals in eight Premier League matches between February and March, solidifying his position as Fulham’s first-choice striker. However, he ended the 2023/24 season with just one goal, and couldn’t break a three-game scoring drought this evening.

Tom Cairney (for Smith Rowe 64) – 5 – The veteran midfielder was introduced to bring calm to Fulham’s midfield just as soon as United found their second wind.

Harry Wilson (for Traoré 78) – N/A – A late sub.