Man United 1-2 Fulham: Alex Iwobi scores dramatic winner at the death after Harry Maguire’s late equaliser – with the defender lucky to avoid red card after nasty foul on Sasa Lukic – as hosts’ hot streak ends

The haunting prospect for Erik ten Hag as he left the pitch here at Old Trafford defeated and deflated was that Manchester United’s season could be all but over by the end of the week. 

United’s last hopes of a trophy are on the line in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night. Four days later, they go to the Etihad to face Manchester City knowing that another defeat could end their chances of finishing in the top-four.

Aston Villa are eight points ahead now and play Luton. Tottenham are three points ahead with a game in hand and play Crystal Palace.

Who knows? Villa and Spurs still have to play each other. Fifth place might yet be enough to qualify for the Champions League.

But this is very early in the season for Ten Hag to be clutching at straws after Alex Iwobi inflicted the most painful of defeats with a winner in the 97th minute.

Alex Iwobi scored a 97th-minute winner to give Fulham a shock 2-1 win away at Old Trafford

Harry Maguire thought he had salvaged a point when he scored in the 89th minute for United

However, it wasn’t enough for Erik ten Hag’s side – who remain three points off the top four

As the first signs of spring were met with a sudden blast of winter at Old Trafford, the green shoots of United’s recovery were trampled underfoot by Marco Silva’s vibrant team.

United suffered their first defeat of 2024 as a run of six wins and a draw from seven games came to a halt, and their 10th loss in the Premier League this season. That never happened to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fulham celebrated their first away win in the league at Old Trafford in 21 years, and their first anywhere since the opening weekend of the season. They deserved it too.

It was a sobering result for Ten Hag and the men who will decide his fate at the end of the season.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was less than upbeat when discussing the Dutchman’s future this week after his £1.3billion investment was completed. A top-four finish could be the dividing line.

Ratcliffe wasn’t here but Sir Dave Brailsford was, and he will not have been impressed by what he saw. Nor will the bean counters at Ineos be happy to see £86million signing Antony sat on the bench for 89 minutes while teenager Omari Forson started ahead of him and Amad Diallo the preferred right-wing replacement off the bench. Forson was quiet on his debut, but he wasn’t alone.

The decision to start him was brought on by the injuries to top scorer Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw. Ten Hag said beforehand that it wouldn’t blunt United’s attacking threat, but who was he kidding?

A team that had scored 17 goals in those seven games this year reverted to being one that averaged a goal per game in the previous 18.

United were vulnerable to Fulham’s counter-attack, and that was clear from the opening minutes when Iwobi twice fired wide of Andre Onana’s right-hand post. Sasa Lukic could have scored from close-range but his first touch was too heavy.

Calvin Bassey gave Marco Silva’s side a surprise lead after 65 minutes before Maguire levelled

Maguire was lucky to stay on after a clumsy foul on Sasa Lukic, for which he was booked 

Alejandro Garnacho was United’s main attacking threat and Tosin Adarabioyo, Andreas Pereira, Iwobi and Harry Wilson were all booked for fouling the United winger before half-time. Only Antonee Robinson’s header kept out Garnacho’s goalbound shot.

The two teams traded blows before the break, Diogo Dalot clipping the post at one end and the troublesome Rodrigo Muniz turning Victor Lindelof to rattle the United upright at the other.

Ten Hag felt that the loss of Casemiro in the 53rd minute following a clash of heads with Harrison Reed turned the game but, in truth, Fulham were on top by then and it brought a goal shortly afterwards.

Onana conceded a corner when he was forced to tip over Reed’s cross that was drifting in and Pereira delivered from the right. Calvin Bassey’s first-time effort was straight at teammate Timothy Castagne, but the loose ball sat up for the Nigeria defender and he smashed it into the roof of the net.

United were on a run of six wins and a draw in 2024 but Fulham gave them food for thought

It brought a response from United and eventually an equaliser in the 89th minute from Maguire who was perhaps a little fortunate to still be on the pitch after he was only booked in the first half for a challenge on Sasa Lukic that was clumsy rather than malicious.

The United defender tried to cross from the right and over-hit it. Bruno Fernandes retrieved the ball and teased Castagne before firing in a shot. Bernd Leno likes a parry and this time it feel kindly for Maguire to convert from close range.

Game on and at that stage you fancied United to win it as referee Michael Oliver added on nine minutes of injury-time and Old Trafford geared up for another grandstand finish.

Fulham moved onto 32 points and are just three off the top half, claiming their first Premier League win at Old Trafford since 2003

But in the seventh of those minutes, Fulham snatched the victory their performance deserved.

The move started on their own dead ball line as Adarabioyo cleared upfield. It fell to substitute Adama Traore and the United defence retreated in the face of one of his bulldozing runs.

Traore slipped the ball to Iwobi who cut inside Dalot and Diallo before burying his shot from 15 yards.

This time there was no way back for Ten Hag’s side. Many more slips like this one and the same will have to be said for their hopes of Champions League qualification.