Fulham and Manchester United lock horns at Craven Cottage on Sunday, with both teams desperate to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Marco Silva’s Fulham are ninth in the table and have been fairly impressive so far this season. The Cottagers suffered heartbreak in the stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, losing 2-1 to champions Man City with substitute Erling Haaland scoring a penalty.
Manchester United, on the other hand, are in fifth place in the standings and have recovered brilliantly after a dismal start to the season under Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils suffered their first defeat in 10 games across all formats last time out, losing 3-1 to Aston Villa away. But they responded well in midweek by dumping Villa out of the Carabao Cup, thrashing Unai Emery’s side 4-2.
With an intense game in west London expected, let us take a look at the key battles that could define the outcome of this fixture.
#Willian vs Tyrell Malacia
Marco Silva confirmed in his pre-match presser that he will have almost the same team as their previous fixture, which possibly means Aleksandar Mitrovic will not recover from an ankle injury in time to face Man United.
With Mitrovic—Fulham’s top scorer—unlikely to be a part of the squad on Sunday, Willian will have to take more responsibility in attack against Ten Hag’s side. Willian is their most experienced player when it comes to the Premier League, and the Brazilian will look to use his pace, dribbling skills and energy to good effect to cause problems for the opposition.
Man United have their own problems at the back, with Diogo Dalot suspended after accumulating five yellow cards. In Dalot’s absence, Ten Hag could use Tyrell Malacia at right-back, tasking the Dutchman to keep a check on Willian.
How Malacia copes with Willian’s runs in behind the backline while operating in an unnatural position will be interesting to watch.
#Andreas Pereira vs Casemiro
Andreas Pereira has become a crucial cog in Marco Silva’s system at Fulham since arriving from Man United in the summer. With two goals and four assists, the Brazilian midfielder is the team’s creative hub with most of their attacks going through him.
With Man United in town, Pereira will be extra motivated to prove a point against his former employers. He is likely to come up against his compatriot Casemiro, who will start in his usual No.6 role and sweep up things at the back. With Casemiro in midfield, United have looked solid and composed in and out of possession.
Whether or not the Man United star is able to stop Pereira from influencing Fulham’s play in the final third could decide the outcome of this fixture.
#Marcus Rashford vs Bobby Decordova-Reid
Marcus Rashford is a man in form for Man United, showing signs of getting back to his old self under Ten Hag this term. The United No.10 produced a Man of the match display in the 4-2 win over Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup third round, scoring the decisive equaliser to make it 2-2.
With Ten Hag expected to start Anthony Martial in the No.9 role, Rashford could take his usual position on the left flank. That could see a tantalising battle between the England international and Bobby Decordova-Reid, who might get the nod to start at right-back in Kenny Tete’s suspension.
Decordova-Reid has been one of Fulham’s key performers this season, and with his explosive pace, smart movement and directness he will look to pin Rashford back in his own half as much as possible. However, Rashford is playing with a lot of confidence at the moment, which could make for a top matchup against Decordova-Reid on Sunday.