August 16, (THEWILL) – Joshua Zirkzee scored a late winner on his Manchester United debut, earning a 1-0 victory against Fulham in the English Premier League opener at Old Trafford.
The Dutch striker, who joined from Bologna for £36.5 million last month, came off the bench to net the decisive goal in the 87th minute.
United manager Erik ten Hag fielded a makeshift lineup due to injuries and fitness concerns. Bruno Fernandes started as a centre-forward, while new signing Noussair Mazraoui made his debut at left-back. The home side struggled to create clear-cut chances, with Fernandes and Mason Mount both denied by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Fulham threatened on the counter-attack and had opportunities to take the lead. Andre Onana made a crucial save from Kenny Tete’s long-range effort, while Lisandro Martinez produced a goal-line clearance to deny former United player Andreas Pereira.
The match appeared headed for a goalless draw until Zirkzee’s intervention. The substitute showed his predatory instincts by poking home Alejandro Garnacho’s cross from close range. Garnacho then missed a golden opportunity to double the lead in stoppage time, firing wide with an open goal at his mercy.
The result extends Manchester United’s record for opening-day victories in the top flight to 22. However, the performance will have done little to ease concerns about the team’s readiness for the new campaign, with Ten Hag acknowledging before the match that his side was “not ready” due to fitness issues and injuries to key players.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
