The 2024/25 Premier League season commences at Old Trafford on Friday evening as Manchester United host Fulham.
The Red Devils will be looking to bounce back from their penalty shootout defeat to local rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley last weekend.
The red side of Manchester thought the trophy was theirs until an 89th-minute equaliser from Bernardo Silva cancelled out Alejandro Garnacho’s clinical finish seven minutes prior.
Fulham will be looking to start strongly despite losing the spine of their team, with captain Tim Ream, star man Joao Palhinha and central defender Tosin Adarabioyo all moving on to pastures new at Charlotte FC, Bayern Munich and Chelsea respectively.
The loss of midfield lynchpin Palhinha is inevitably going to affect their robustness, with the Portuguese international being their best and most important player for the last couple of campaigns.
However, the Cottagers have reinvested some of that fee, bolstering their ranks with the signing of former Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, whilst also making an approach to bring centre-back Joachim Andersen back to Craven Cottage from London rivals Crystal Palace.
There has also been a romantic return for Ryan Sessegnon as he returns to his boyhood club on a free after a spell at Tottenham that was plagued with injury.
Manchester United vs Fulham – Match Preview:
Form (Pre-season)
Manchester United: LLWLW
Manchester United have endured an assortment of results and performances in pre-season, with Erik ten Hag hoping those inconsistencies are merely down to the lack of fitness.
Their (semi) competitive season started a week earlier than others due to that Manchester derby last Saturday.
Preparation for the upcoming campaign started with a defeat to Norwegian side Rosenborg, before a 2-0 friendly win against Scottish heavyweights Rangers saw the side suffer a setback. New recruit Leny Yoro suffered an ankle injury in that game which will leave the 18-year-old centre-half on the sidelines for around three months.
⏳ The countdown is over…
???? IT’S MATCHDAY! ????#MUFC || #MUNFUL pic.twitter.com/d8I4oWKPhs
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 16, 2024
Their only other pre-season victory came against Spanish side Real Betis with goals from Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Casemiro helping the Red Devils to a 3-2 win.
A concern for Ten Hag will be their performances against Premier League opposition. United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal before concluding their tour of America with another loss at the hands of Arne Slot’s new-look Liverpool.
Fulham: WLW
Fulham’s pre-season preparations were predominantly positive as they swept aside Benfica and Hoffenheim, with a hard-fought loss to Sevilla sandwiched in between.
Perhaps the highlight of their pre-season was the form of Emile Smith Rowe, who has hit the ground running with the Cottagers.
The attacking midfielder was on the scoresheet in the clashes with Hoffenheim and Sevilla and has demonstrated an encouraging understanding with the Fulham forward line.
After a summer of good preparation, it’s time for the real stuff to begin…
See you tomorrow, Fulham fam. ???? pic.twitter.com/PWpnQaaZOv
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 15, 2024
Last Meeting: Manchester United 1-2 Fulham, 24th February 2024
The last encounter between these sides will live long in the memory of Fulham fans as they recorded their first Premier League victory at Old Trafford.
Despite Fulham entering the match on an eleven-match winless away run, the West Londoners were more than good value for their lead as Calvin Bassey thundered home following a corner midway through the second half.
Manchester United thought they had salvaged a draw when Harry Maguire restored parity from close range with only one minute remaining. But, in the dying embers of the match, Fulham broke at frightening pace through Adama Traore.
A trademark lung-busting run from the Spaniard saw Traore carry the ball roughly 50 yards before teeing up teammate Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian steadied himself, before drilling the ball into the near post, catching out the flat-footed Andre Onana and sending the Fulham faithful behind the goal into raptures.
Predicted Lineups:
Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, De Ligt, Martinez; Casemiro, Mainoo, Amad, Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford.
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Reed, Pereira, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz.
Who is the referee?
Robert Jones.
What channel is Manchester United vs Fulham on?
The game is available on Sky Sports Main Event in the United Kingdom.
What time is kick-off?
Friday 16th August, 20:00 BST.
Odds
Manchester United: 4/7
Draw: 10/3
Fulham: 17/4
Read – Manchester United – Premier League Season Preview 2024/25
See more – Fulham – Premier League Season Preview 2024/25
