Premier League

RUBEN AMORIM may be convinced to throw Marcus Rashford a lifeline after witnessing abysmal performances from Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee at Fulham.Stats show that the Manchester United pair had a night to forget despite Amorim’s side taking home all three points.Rasmus Hojlund had a game to forget against FulhamCredit: AFPJoshua Zirkzee also failed to impress as Man Utd won 1-0Credit: APRuben Amorim may be tempted to recall Marcus Rashford to lead his lineCredit: GettyLisandro Martinez’s deflected shot was enough to seal victory at Craven Cottage.But on the back of tonight, Amorim may likely be tempted to give Rashford another go up top despite the England star being linked with a January exit.However, judging by the manager’s comments post-Fulham, Rashford would have to step things up in training to be offered any olive branch.Danish striker Hojlund started the game in West London with an immediate red flag over his head.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe former Atalanta star has played in 48 Premier League games since his £64million move in 2023.But he hasn’t scored in 36 of those matches — virtually an entire top-flight season.And Hojlund’s latest outing did not prove to be different as he again failed to net.Indeed, he didn’t have one single shot at goal on the night.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHojlund only managed 17 touches of the ball too — with just ONE of them in Fulham’s penalty area.And his passing fared little better too, with the forward completing six of just eight being before hauled off in the 58th minute.Gary Neville tells Match of the Day legend ‘please stop putting me forward as Man Utd manager’Hojlund was replaced by fellow hitman Zirkzee, who has failed to impress since his £36.5m summer move from Bologna.The Dutchman has just three league goals so far this term and, like Rashford, has also been linked with an exit.But he is yet to be axed from Amorim’s squad and so was given another chance to prove doubters wrong tonight.However, Zirkzee arguably had a worse game than Hojlund.He too had zero shots at goal, therefore failing to score.Unlike Hojlund though, Zirkzee didn’t even muster one single touch in Fulham’s box.And despite being regarded as the more technical of the two, Zirkzee managed just five passes all game — with one of them failing to reach its target.Amorim is sure to be scratching his head as he searches for a solution up top.Rashford is the closest thing he has to a third striker.And if the Englishman fails to secure a dream move to Barcelona, he may yet end up leading the line for the remainder of the season.READ MORE SUN STORIESRashford has also been strongly linked with a move to AC Milan.While Aston Villa have been tipped as potential late suitors in the window.MAN UTD PLAYER RATINGS: Maguire puts in superb defensive display but Garnacho caught running into blind alleysMANCHESTER UNITED secured a hard-fought three points against Fulham.Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike proved to be the difference in what was the Red Devils’ only shot on target all game.Harry Maguire impressed but Alejandro Garnacho once again failed to impress in what could have been his Man Utd farewell amid rumours linking him with Napoli and Chelsea.Here is how SunSport rated the individual performances.Andre Onana – 7Good save low down to his left to keep out an Alex Iwobi shot early doors.Other than that he was barely tested but no glaring errors mean it is a step in the right direction for the Red Devils No1.Diogo Dalot – 6Had a difficult time in the first half up against Iwobi who was Fulham’s main attacking threat.Switched to the left flank in the second half and supported Garnacho without posing much of a threat.Matthijs de Ligt – 8Another strong showing at the back from the Dutchman. Without his support for Dalot, Fulham may have created a goal down United’s right-hand side.Harry Maguire – 9A superb defensive display from the England star who has been one of United’s best players since Amorim took charge.Pulled off a brilliant header at the back post to deny Rodrigo Muniz a certain goal.Lisandro Martinez – 8Superb last-ditch tackle to prevent Emile Smith Rowe from shooting as he burst through on goal.His goal had a big slice of luck as it was deflected past Bernd Leno but credit to him for having the audacity to shoot.Noussair Mazraoui – 7Solid at the back and tried to get forward when he could. United looked more balance with him on the left and Dalot on the right, although the pair swapped at half-time.Manuel Ugarte – 6Showed some nice touches and was a bit of a menace in the middle – in a positive and negative sense. Kept a close eye on Smith Rowe and allowed him no time on the ball.Booked for a foul on Adama Traore and was taken off shortly afterwards with an injury.Bruno Fernandes – 5Not at his best. Barely saw the ball in the first half and was not very effective when he did get it.Amad Diallo – 6Looked bright on the ball and United’s only real outlet going forward.He worked tirelessly and pressed really well – his hard work paid off when he found the back of the net in stoppage time but his effort was chalked off.Alejandro Garnacho – 3Was cautious on the ball and ran into blind alleys too often. Final ball let him down on the rare occasion he did manage to beat a defender.Rasmus Hojlund – 4His hold up play is nowhere near good enough for this system or for a club like United.He was too gung-ho at times and his erratic nature meant linking up with Amad and Garnacho proved difficult.Hauled off before the hour mark which says it all about his performance.Subs:Leny Yoro (for De Ligt, 58mins) – 6A more assured display given his shaky start to life in the Premier League.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 58mins) – 5Like Hojlund he had a difficult time holding the ball up but United improved with him on the pitch.Toby Collyer (for Ugarte, 76mins ) – 6Solid display again from the youngster who was often in the right position to clear, including one on the line to stop a Joachim Andersen header from going in.Kobbie Mainoo (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Provided energy in midfield and shored things up alongside Collyer.A brilliant one-two with Amad set up the winger to score before VAR ruled Amad offside.Tyrell Malacia (for Mazraoui, 80mins) – 6Brought on in an unfamiliar right wing-back role but did what was needed to see out the clean sheet. 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MANCHESTER UNITED secured a hard-fought three points against Fulham.Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike proved to be the difference in what was the Red Devils’ only shot on target all game.Lisandro Martinez’s deflected effort was enough to give United three pointsCredit: GettyAlejandro Garnacho struggled amid rumours he could leave the clubCredit: ReutersHarry Maguire impressed but Alejandro Garnacho once again failed to impress in what could have been his Man Utd farewell amid rumours linking him with Napoli and Chelsea.Here is how SunSport rated the individual performances.Andre Onana – 7Good save low down to his left to keep out an Alex Iwobi shot early doors.Other than that he was barely tested but no glaring errors mean it is a step in the right direction for the Red Devils No1.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDiogo Dalot – 6Had a difficult time in the first half up against Iwobi who was Fulham’s main attacking threat.Switched to the left flank in the second half and supported Garnacho without posing much of a threat.Matthijs de Ligt – 8Another strong showing at the back from the Dutchman. Without his support for Dalot, Fulham may have created a goal down United’s right-hand side.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHarry Maguire – 9A superb defensive display from the England star who has been one of United’s best players since Amorim took charge.Pulled off a brilliant header at the back post to deny Rodrigo Muniz a certain goal.Harry Maguire reveals he sent private message to Joshua Zirkzee after Man Utd star was cheered off vs NewcastleLisandro Martinez – 8Superb last-ditch tackle to prevent Emile Smith Rowe from shooting as he burst through on goal.His goal had a big slice of luck as it was deflected past Bernd Leno but credit to him for having the audacity to shoot.Noussair Mazraoui – 7Solid at the back and tried to get forward when he could. United looked more balance with him on the left and Dalot on the right, although the pair swapped at half-time.Manuel Ugarte – 6Showed some nice touches and was a bit of a menace in the middle – in a positive and negative sense. Kept a close eye on Smith Rowe and allowed him no time on the ball.Booked for a foul on Adama Traore and was taken off shortly afterwards with an injury.Bruno Fernandes – 5Not at his best. Barely saw the ball in the first half and was not very effective when he did get it.Amad Diallo – 6Looked bright on the ball and United’s only real outlet going forward.He worked tirelessly and pressed really well – his hard work paid off when he found the back of the net in stoppage time but his effort was chalked off.Alejandro Garnacho – 3Was cautious on the ball and ran into blind alleys too often. Final ball let him down on the rare occasion he did manage to beat a defender.Rasmus Hojlund – 4His hold up play is nowhere near good enough for this system or for a club like United. He was too gung-ho at times and his erratic nature meant linking up with Amad and Garnacho proved difficult.Hauled off before the hour mark which says it all about his performance.Subs:Leny Yoro (for De Ligt, 58mins) – 6A more assured display given his shaky start to life in the Premier League.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 58mins) – 5Like Hojlund he had a difficult time holding the ball up but United improved with him on the pitch.Toby Collyer (for Ugarte, 76mins ) – 6Solid display again from the youngster who was often in the right position to clear, including one on the line to stop a Joachim Andersen header from going in.Kobbie Mainoo (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Provided energy in midfield and shored things up alongside Collyer.A brilliant one-two with Amad set up the winger to score before VAR ruled Amad offside.READ MORE SUN STORIESTyrell Malacia (for Mazraoui, 80mins) – 6Brought on in an unfamiliar right wing-back role but did what was needed to see out the clean sheet. More

LIFE now begins for birthday boy Ruben Amorim – and he will now hope his team can also start enjoying themselves.Amorim will be blowing out 40 candles on a cake today and at least he will not be in a rotten mood, which has been the case the day after most of his United games.Lisandro Martinez’s deflected shot sealed a 1-0 win for Man Utd at FulhamCredit: GettyThe defender pounced with just over 10 minutes left to seal victoryCredit: GettyOn this occasion, there was no TV smashing in the dressing room although by the time Lisandro Martinez scored a 78th minute winner, many fans at home will have switched off their television sets as the game was so bad.But thanks to Martinez, who got away with a nasty challenge on sub Adama Traore before the goal, United will now look to win a third successive game for the first time under Amorim when they travel to Romania to face FCSB on Thursday.Amorim’s name was sung enthusiastically by the United fans who will not have headed to west London with too much confidence.While the United boss is unlikely to be getting a birthday card off skinflint boss Jim Ratcliffe – and he was here at Craven Cottage – Amorim will be hoping to get a few presents in the transfer market this week.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDespite this win, only a seventh under the Portuguese coach, it remains clear United are still desperately short of quality, particularly in the final third,While they might not be the worst team in United’s history, despite those bombshell comments from the manager, the fact they are 12th in the Premier League sums up this embarrassing situation.Where United go this season remains to be seen although at least they will not get relegated like 51 years ago. But great entertainers they are certainly not.FIFA president Gianni Infantino will certainly regret heading to west London for this match which only became interesting in the closing stages.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThe family of Hollywood star Julia Roberts were also supposed to come but they cried off and that proved to be an incredibly wise decision.The Magnificent Seven by The Clash was played at half-time although there was nothing magnificent about this game which kicked off at the unusual time of 7pm. Antony leaves Man Utd with more yellow cards than goals as £86m Ten Hag flop goes down as one of worst transfers everAlex Iwobi fired a couple of efforts at United keeper Andre Onana but they were not particularly testing ones.Raul Jimenez delivered a couple of wild finishes but against this awful United team, Fulham would have expected to do better,United did not manage a shot on target until the 42nd minute although it was not much of one with Matthijs De Ligt’s effort easily gathered by Bernd Leno.Martinez’s hit took a wicked deflection off Sasa LukicCredit: PAMartinez celebrated in style 12 minutes from timeCredit: PAAmad Diallo, one of United’s better performers recently, looked lost on the right while Alejandro Garnacho – who started despite being a January window target for clubs including Chelsea – had a few bright moments and played a part in the winning goal.Marco Silva’s Fulham were less of a threat in the second half and they lost Harry Wilson who hobbled off towards Cottage and they are unlikely to see him play away at Wigan in the FA Cup on Saturday.In Wilson’s place, Fulham brought on speed merchant Traore down the left and worried about his pace, Amorim switched Noussair Mazraoui over to the right of defence with Diogo Dalot moving across to left wing-back.Amad Diallo netted a second for United at the deathCredit: ReutersThe winger was judged to be offside by VAR, ruling the goal outCredit: GettyDespite Fulham being unusually passive, United were so lacklustre.They had one free-kick in a dangerous area and bizarrely, keeper Onana raced to the touchline on halfway to get a view of the angle and he shouted at Bruno Fernandes to try his luck in the top right corner.Whether this was a clever ploy or Fernandes could not be bothered to take any notice of his colleague remains to be seen, But United’s captain went for the bottom left corner but he shot wide.A heated game saw tensions flare on the pitchCredit: ReutersAdama Traore reignited his feud with MartinezCredit: APTraore added a bit of spark although as ever, his final product was not great and he wasted one good chance while he then suffered that crunching tackle from Martinez.And then, the United centre-back delivered an impact at the other end of the pitch. He seized on a loose pass from Sander Berge, nipped  in front of Jimenez, and his shot deflected off Sasa Lukic and looped over keeper Keno who was able to get a hand to the shot.Ruben Amorim was delighted to see his side get the winCredit: GettyIt was a frustrating night for Marco SilvaCredit: GettyUnited sub Toby Collyer saved his team with a goal-line clearance from Joachim Andersen’s header.Diallo thought he had got the second deep into stoppage time but it was ruled out by VAR but Amorim would not be bothered about that,Now aged 40, Amorim still looks youthful. READ MORE SUN STORIESBut what a couple of years in the job at United will do to him remains to be seen. There will certainly be plenty of grey hairs.MAN UTD PLAYER RATINGS: Maguire puts in superb defensive display but Garnacho caught running into blind alleysMANCHESTER UNITED secured a hard-fought three points against Fulham.Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike proved to be the difference in what was the Red Devils’ only shot on target all game.Harry Maguire impressed but Alejandro Garnacho once again failed to impress in what could have been his Man Utd farewell amid rumours linking him with Napoli and Chelsea.Here is how SunSport rated the individual performances.Andre Onana – 7Good save low down to his left to keep out an Alex Iwobi shot early doors.Other than that he was barely tested but no glaring errors mean it is a step in the right direction for the Red Devils No1.Diogo Dalot – 6Had a difficult time in the first half up against Iwobi who was Fulham’s main attacking threat.Switched to the left flank in the second half and supported Garnacho without posing much of a threat.Matthijs de Ligt – 8Another strong showing at the back from the Dutchman. Without his support for Dalot, Fulham may have created a goal down United’s right-hand side.Harry Maguire – 9A superb defensive display from the England star who has been one of United’s best players since Amorim took charge.Pulled off a brilliant header at the back post to deny Rodrigo Muniz a certain goal.Lisandro Martinez – 8Superb last-ditch tackle to prevent Emile Smith Rowe from shooting as he burst through on goal.His goal had a big slice of luck as it was deflected past Bernd Leno but credit to him for having the audacity to shoot.Noussair Mazraoui – 7Solid at the back and tried to get forward when he could. United looked more balance with him on the left and Dalot on the right, although the pair swapped at half-time.Manuel Ugarte – 6Showed some nice touches and was a bit of a menace in the middle – in a positive and negative sense. Kept a close eye on Smith Rowe and allowed him no time on the ball.Booked for a foul on Adama Traore and was taken off shortly afterwards with an injury.Bruno Fernandes – 5Not at his best. Barely saw the ball in the first half and was not very effective when he did get it.Amad Diallo – 6Looked bright on the ball and United’s only real outlet going forward.He worked tirelessly and pressed really well – his hard work paid off when he found the back of the net in stoppage time but his effort was chalked off.Alejandro Garnacho – 3Was cautious on the ball and ran into blind alleys too often. Final ball let him down on the rare occasion he did manage to beat a defender.Rasmus Hojlund – 4His hold up play is nowhere near good enough for this system or for a club like United.He was too gung-ho at times and his erratic nature meant linking up with Amad and Garnacho proved difficult.Hauled off before the hour mark which says it all about his performance.Subs:Leny Yoro (for De Ligt, 58mins) – 6A more assured display given his shaky start to life in the Premier League.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 58mins) – 5Like Hojlund he had a difficult time holding the ball up but United improved with him on the pitch.Toby Collyer (for Ugarte, 76mins ) – 6Solid display again from the youngster who was often in the right position to clear, including one on the line to stop a Joachim Andersen header from going in.Kobbie Mainoo (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Provided energy in midfield and shored things up alongside Collyer.A brilliant one-two with Amad set up the winger to score before VAR ruled Amad offside.Tyrell Malacia (for Mazraoui, 80mins) – 6Brought on in an unfamiliar right wing-back role but did what was needed to see out the clean sheet. 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