A tight encounter saw Fulham slip to a hard-fought defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday night at the Cottage.
The Whites had flown out of the traps and were in front inside five minutes when Ademola Lookman whipped a low shot into the far corner.
But the visitors turned the screw after that and drew level through Edinson Cavani’s predatory strike.
A moment of genius won it in the second half when Paul Pogba bent in a stunning long ranger, although United needed goalkeeper David De Gea to make a big stop to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek and ensure his side returned to the top of the Premier League.
Scott Parker made two enforced changes to the side that was narrowly defeated by Chelsea four days earlier. With both Antonee Robinson and Bobby De Cordova-Reid suspended, Joe Bryan and Loftus-Cheek came into the XI, while Mario Lemina and Aleksandar Mitrović were back amongst the substitutes.
The swirling rain that had engulfed SW6 in the build up to the game had settled down by kick-off, and it was Fulham who settled the quicker of the two sides, with Lookman trying his luck twice inside the opening two minutes. He saw the first blocked, and the second saved by De Gea.
But the winger did not have to wait long to celebrate an opener, lashing emphatically beyond De Gea having sprung the offside trap to collect Frank Anguissa’s excellent ball over the top.
Anguissa versus Pogba was set up to be a real clash of the titans in the middle of the park. Both were putting themselves about and had already collected a yellow card apiece before 12 minutes had been played.
United hadn’t really caused the Whites too much concern but seconds after Bruno Fernandes had struck a post, Cavani tapped home the loose ball when Alphonse Areola was unable to hold a low cross from the left.
Our number one immediately went some way to making up for his error with a flying save to keep out a goalbound Fernandes hit.
Buoyed by their fortuitous goal, United began to have a greater control of proceedings, and Harry Maguire should have done better with his header from a corner as the game approached the half hour mark.
Another knife-through-butter pass from Anguissa sent Ivan Cavaleiro in with a clear sight of goal soon after, but he lost control and the ball ran away from him.
Luke Shaw had been lively down the left-hand side in the first half, and as we approached the interval he delivered a pinpoint cross to Anthony Martial, who headed over under pressure from Joachim Andersen.
As we had the first, Fulham started the second half well, and Harrison Reed’s 25 yarder wasn’t badly hit, if always going over.
Loftus-Cheek then fashioned a chance by outmuscling Fred and laying back to Lookman, but his low strike was too close to De Gea.
Areola made a wonderful reaction save to keep out Fernandes’ point blank header from a teasing Pogba delivery. The flag had gone up but the Whites ‘keeper wasn’t to know – a magnificent stop.
There was a similar passage of play in the 64th minute when Areola claimed the offside Martial’s header, but this was a more routine save.
There was nothing he could do about Pogba’s ferocious strike, though, as his compatriot let fly with a brilliant curling left footer that flew inside the far post to give United the lead.
It could have been worse moments later had Areola not shown remarkable reflexes to repel Cavani’s close range header.
Parker introduced Aboubakar Kamara and the forward had an immediate impact when he slipped Loftus-Cheek through. The midfielder hit a firm shot across goal but was denied by an outstretched De Gea leg.
With time running out, Parker threw caution to the wind and replaced Ola Aina with Mitrović. Soon after, two half chances came our way, but Loftus-Cheek and Lemina – who had come on for Anguissa – both fired over.
Fulham kept probing as four minutes of stoppage time were being played, with both Lookman and Mitrović going close, the latter in particular when he headed against Eric Bailly and the ball spun agonisingly wide.
It was inches from going in, and that’s how close the Whites came to securing what would have been a precious point.
Fulham: Areola; Aina (Mitrović 83’), Andersen, Adarabioyo; Tete, Reed, Anguissa (Lemina 79’), Bryan; Loftus-Cheek, Cavaleiro (Kamara 70’), Lookman
Man Utd: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, Pogba; Greenwood (Rashford 85’), Fernandes (Matic 90+4’), Martial (McTominay 85’); Cavani
