Manchester United travel to Craven Cottage in Fulham, West London, England, to face off against Fulham in Matchday 2 of the English Premier League 2025/26 season on August 24, 2025. The match starts at 9 PM IST/3:30 PM GMT. Ahead of this contest check out our FUL vs MU Prediction, stats, analysis, form guide, scoreline prediction.
FUL vs MU Preview
Fulham vs Manchester United is going to be a very interesting match this time. The defeat against Arsenal last week disappointed the Red Devils, but several facets of the game indicated that Amorim’s team has room for improvement. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha constantly posed a threat, but their finishing did not support, and David Raya’s excellent goalkeeping dashed United’s hopes. The defeat was Amorim’s 15th in 28 matches in the Premier League, while he had never suffered so many defeats in so many matches during his Sporting Lisbon days.
On the other hand, history says that United can bounce back despite losing the first two matches. In both the 1992-93 and 2022-23 seasons, the team finished strongly despite early setbacks, but recently, United’s away form have been weak, as they have suffered four defeats and a draw in the last five away matches. That is why Fulham will try to capitalise on this opportunity.
Marco Silva’s side’s home record are also a cause for concern. Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City all won at Craven Cottage at the end of last season. If Fulham lose again, it will be the first time in Silva’s career that they have lost four consecutive home games. However, Rodrigo Muniz’s last-minute goal against Brighton has given the team some relief.
The strategy will be clear in this match. Fulham will try to stretch United’s defence with high pressing and width. Manchester United will look to control the ball and attack with quick transitions. Lisandro Martinez scored the decisive goal at this ground last season, and United will now be looking to register their ninth consecutive away win over Fulham.
Form Guide & Team News
Recent Form (Last five matches)
- Fulham: D-W-W-W-L
- Manchester United: L-W-D-W-W
Both teams have played just one game in the Premier League so far this season. Fulham drew against Everton in the opening match at American Express Stadium, while Manchester United lost to Arsenal in the opening match at Old Trafford. Manchester United has won a remarkable 17 of their 25 Premier League visits to Craven Cottage. Fulham’s last home win against Manchester United was during the 2009-10 Premier League season.
Team News
Antonee Robinson and Ryan Sessegnon might not be risked yet again for Fulham in this game.
Martinez and Mazraoui will miss out on this game for Manchester United with injuries, and Hojlund has been left out of the squad yet again.
FUL vs MU Predicted Starting Lineup
Fulham predicted starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Bassey; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz
Manchester United predicted starting lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Diallo, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko
Tactical Analysis & Key Battles
- Defender vs. Forward: Fulham’s defensive pairing of Jorge Cuenca and Joachim Andersen will face a new challenge in Manchester United’s summer signing, Benjamin Sesko. Cuenca and Andersen are known for their solidity and composure. This will be tested by Sesko’s ability to create and exploit space, as noted in preseason.
- Pressing Matchup: Fulham, under Marco Silva, utilises an adaptable pressing scheme, including a high press in a 4-4-2 shape at times. Manchester United’s ability to play out from the back against this pressure will be tested. United’s new signings, like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, will look to exploit any space on the counter-attack.
- Set-pieces/Transitions: Fulham demonstrated a strength from set pieces last season, ranking fifth in the league for goals from corners. Manchester United have shown weaknesses in defending set-pieces and transitioning defensively, as highlighted by a goal conceded from a corner in their opening match this season. They have conceded more goals from corners than any other Premier League side since the start of the 2023-24 season.
FUL vs MU Key Stats
- Goals Conceded per game (2024/2025): Both Fulham and Manchester United conceded 1.37 goals per game.
- Set-piece goals (2024/2025): Fulham scored nine goals from corners last season, ranking them fifth in the league.
- Goals Conceded from Corners (since 2023-24): Since the start of the 2023-24 season, United have conceded more goals from corners than any other Premier League side.
FUL vs MU Scoreline Prediction – Match Week 2
Expected flow of the game
In this match, Manchester United will try to create an attack by keeping more control on the ball, especially through their new attacking trio Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. On the other hand, Fulham will adopt an organised defensive game and will have a strategy to counterattack after facing pressure.
One decisive factor
The most important aspect of this match will be the coordination of United’s new attacking trio. Against Arsenal, they created chances but lacked accuracy in scoring goals. If this trio of Amorim can capitalise on the chances, then it may be possible to break Fulham’s defence.
FUL vs MU Predicted scoreline
This match is expected to be tough, but United’s attacking quality may prove to be too much for Fulham’s hardworking defence. Given their strong record at Craven Cottage, the expected result is — Fulham 1 – 2 Manchester United.
