Premier League 2024: Joshua Zirkzee’s Late Goal Seals Manchester United’s 1-0 Victory Over Fulham
Premier League 2024 Updates: Joshua Zirkzee, a late substitution from the Netherlands, gave Manchester United a thrilling 1-0 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford to start their Premier League campaign.
After the half, frustrations increased, but three minutes left, Zirkzee, a Dutch substitute, arrived exactly on time to give United the victory. Ahead of the opening match of the English premier league, home fans were in a celebratory mood. Four players were presented on the field, and there were also new faces in the United boardroom.
However, United found it difficult to overwhelm their opponents in the first half, much like they did for the majority of last season at home. Bruno Fernandes, the captain, came closest to scoring the game’s first goal. After the half, frustrations increased, but three minutes left, Zirkzee, a Dutch substitute, arrived exactly on time to give United the victory. “It couldn’t be better to win here in my first home game and to grab a goal,” Zirkzee said to Sky Sports.
“One of the best feelings at Man United, I’ve been told, is scoring at the Stretford End.” I feel very fortunate and grateful that I got to experience it in my very first game. It’s a wonderful sensation.
“What a big club Manchester United is. You ought to aim for excellence at all times. It’s all positive energy.”
After addressing major issues in the transfer market and going without a Premier League title since 2013, United fans are hoping for more than their eighth-place result from the previous season. But when the game began on a beautiful evening, the atmosphere in the crowd soured as United once more appeared to lack creativity in their attack.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana made a great save to keep out an early curling attempt by Kenny Tete, and Fulham keeper Bernd Leno denied Fernandes two open opportunities. After an injury-plagued debut season in Manchester, midfielder Mason Mount was given a starting place and came close early in the second half.
Supporters groaned as further careless passing resulted in a goal, but at the very end, relief turned to joy as Alejandro Garnacho and Zirkzee, who were replacements, combined to score.
Even though United has won more games and accrued more points than any other side in the Premier League thus far, manager Erik ten Hag may still need to make many improvements based on this performance. “Subs are always important and it was good to see in the first game that you bring a sub on and he scores the winner,” Ten Hag stated.
“It’s always tough against Fulham, but we did a great job pressing and defending. We kept them under pressure after ten minutes when we discovered our spell in the game. The only criticism of the team is that they should have scored sooner because we generated a lot of opportunities and killed in the box.”
Marco Silva, the manager of Fulham, was unhappy that his team gained nothing from the game. “It is really tough for us to lose this game the way we lost,” he stated.
“We had a great start, and Man United responded strongly after 20 minutes. Our halftime adjustments allowed the second half to play much better. There were times when playing against Manchester United that we had to punish them.”
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, said on Sky Sports:
“It demonstrated how crucial substitutes are. Bringing on a substitute in the first game is a brilliant idea, and he ends up winning us the game. It’s beneficial to the group dynamic and the team process.
“It’s always tough against Fulham, but we pressed really effectively and kept them under pressure. We had plenty of opportunities and ought to have scored sooner. My sole critique of the team we had to kill was that. “We are aware of the significance of maintaining tidy sheets. We maintained the most clean sheets in the Premier League two seasons ago.
“We will defend well with a high line when we have a stable back four, allowing the midfield and wingers to move forward. Gaps arise when there is no pattern or regularity when there isn’t a reliable back four.”
To Sky Sports, Fulham manager Marco Silva said:
“We are tremendously disappointed with the way we lost this game. The game had its moments. We got off to a great start, and I believe that our own actions were the cause of the first two critical situations. We should have scored the first one—it was a pretty risky attack on our part.
“At the end of the game, we were penalized despite having so many memorable moments. We didn’t play our own game, and it was a crazy game. We made numerous attempts to hurry because it was an intense game.
“I didn’t think we earned the points we received. In games like this, we have to maintain emotional control. They want to play this kind of game, and we know they are strong. When the game is broken and there is space, it is always their strength. We ought to have maintained our composure and emotional restraint.”
