Old Trafford witnessed a Premier League occasion of genuine drama and redemption on Sunday, February 1, 2026, as Manchester United F.C. Vs Fulham F.C. Standings captured a pulsating 3-2 victory secured by substitute Benjamin Sesko’s emphatic stoppage-time finish that sparked bedlam in front of 73,932 supporters on a day when Michael Carrick’s fledgling managerial tenure at the club he captained as a player produced its most emotionally charged moment yet.
Kicking off at 9:00am ET — 2:00pm in the UK — in the first fixture of a brand new era following Rubén Amorím’s acrimonious departure, Carrick delivered a third straight win in charge as his side came from the jaws of a late collapse to claim all three points against a spirited Fulham side who had threatened to inflict a damaging blow.
The Manchester United F.C. Vs Fulham F.C. Standings context going into the match was significant — United sat outside the top four heading into the weekend and knew a victory would push them into Champions League contention in a period where the club was rebuilding both confidence and coherence under their new interim manager.
The starting lineups confirmed by Carrick saw Senne Lammens in goal — the Belgian keeper having taken over as first choice — behind a back four of Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez and Luke Shaw, with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo anchoring the midfield in a 4-2-3-1 structure that retained the framework Carrick had used to begin his tenure so impressively.
Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha were deployed in the three attacking midfield slots behind Bryan Mbeumo at the tip of the attack, with Sesko conspicuously beginning from the bench — a pattern that had become a recurring tactical feature under the new manager given the Slovenian’s impact as an impact substitute.
Fulham lined up in a matching 4-2-3-1 with Bernd Leno in goal behind Joachim Andersen’s defensive leadership, Alex Iwobi and Sander Berge in central midfield, and Raúl Jiménez leading the attack — a compact and well-drilled Marco Silva side that had been one of the Premier League’s most defensively disciplined outfits across the campaign.
Casemiro opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a powerful header from Fernandes’ perfectly-delivered free-kick — a well-crafted set-piece routine that showcased the attention to detail Carrick had already instilled.
Cunha doubled the lead in the 56th minute with a thumping first-time finish from an acute angle after Casemiro’s brilliant no-look pass released the Brazilian in behind — an emphatic, technically excellent goal that appeared to have settled the afternoon’s outcome.
But Fulham refused to capitulate: Raúl Jiménez converted an 85th-minute penalty to reduce the deficit, before substitute Kevin produced an exquisite equaliser in stoppage time to level at 2-2 and leave Old Trafford stunned.
Within moments, Sesko intervened once more — taking a touch and slamming home in front of the Stretford End to spark wild celebrations and cement Carrick’s third consecutive victory in an unbeaten start that had transformed the atmosphere around the club.
Manchester United F.C. Vs Fulham F.C. — Full Starting XIs & Stats
Manchester United (4-2-3-1):
| # | Player | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Senne Lammens | GK | |
| 23 | Luke Shaw | LB | |
| 6 | Lisandro Martínez | CB | |
| 5 | Harry Maguire | CB | |
| 2 | Diogo Dalot | RB | |
| 37 | Kobbie Mainoo | CM | |
| 18 | Casemiro | CM | Goal 19′ |
| 10 | Matheus Cunha | AM | Goal 56′ |
| 8 | Bruno Fernandes | CAM | Assist 19′ |
| 16 | Amad Diallo | RW | Subbed off 58′ |
| 19 | Bryan Mbeumo | ST |
Sub: Benjamin Sesko (58′, for Amad — Goal 90+4′)
Absent: Mason Mount (injury), Matthijs de Ligt (injury), Patrick Dorgu (injury)
Fulham (4-2-3-1):
| # | Player | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Bernd Leno | GK | |
| — | Timothy Castagne | RB | |
| — | Joachim Andersen | CB | |
| — | Jorge Cuenca | CB | |
| — | Antonee Robinson | LB | |
| — | Alex Iwobi | CM | |
| — | Sander Berge | CM | |
| — | Harry Wilson | RW | |
| — | Emile Smith Rowe | CAM | |
| — | Samuel Chukwueze | LW | |
| — | Raúl Jiménez | ST | Goal 85′ (pen) |
Sub: Kevin (Goal 90+1′)
Goalscorers: Casemiro 19′, Cunha 56′, Sesko 90+4′ — Man Utd | Jiménez 85′ (pen), Kevin 90+1′ — Fulham
H2H Record (Premier League all-time):
| Team | Wins | Draws | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 16 | 5 | 1 |
| Fulham | 1 | 5 | 16 |
Premier League Table — April 4, 2026:
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 31 | 21 | 7 | 3 | +39 | 70 |
| 2 | Man City | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | +32 | 61 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | +13 | 55 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 31 | 16 | 6 | 9 | +5 | 54 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | +8 | 49 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | +15 | 48 |
| 9 | Fulham | 31 | 13 | 5 | 13 | -1 | 44 |
Bullet Point Summary — Manchester United F.C. Vs Fulham F.C. Standings
- Benjamin Sesko scored his third decisive goal in four matches for Carrick as substitute
- Casemiro’s header in the 19th minute opened the scoring from Fernandes’ free-kick
- Matheus Cunha’s 56th-minute finish was a technically excellent first-time strike
- Fulham came within seconds of a dramatic equaliser through Kevin’s injury-time goal
- The victory was Michael Carrick’s third straight win in an unbeaten start as United manager
- Manchester United moved into fourth place in the Premier League following the result
- The win pushed United to within three points of Aston Villa in third
- Fulham’s attacking trio of Jiménez, Smith Rowe and Chukwueze struggled to create consistent chances
- Mason Mount, Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu were all absent through injury for United
- Old Trafford’s 73,932 crowd witnessed one of the most dramatic second halves of the Premier League season