Manchester United, and their increasingly under-pressure manager, were grateful for a last-gasp equaliser as they avoided heading into the international break off the back of three straight defeats.
They managed to salvage a 1-1 draw at Fulham although it took a rather fortunate deflection to spare their blushes.
Matheus Cunha’s late goal rescued a point to cancel out a strange own goal from Lisandro Martinez as Fulham were denied their first league win of the season.
For United, the result halts their losing streak but leaves them 12th in the table with just one win from their opening five league games.
Centre-half Martinez actually fashioned one of United’s better chances, near the start of the contest. The Argentine tried his luck from distance with a sweet half-volley that Bernd Leno did well to tip over his crossbar.
Bruno Fernandes then struck a post from close-range after good persistence from Cunha to keep a move alive and pick out his colleague. Fulham had their chances, too. Sander Berge’s shot from distance was denied by Senne Lammens in the United goal before Josh King drew a good stop from the Belgian.
Inbetween that, United were well on top and Cunha’s speculative attempt took a couple of deflections before kissing a post on its way behind.
Fulham ultimately took the lead though, just after the hour mark – and in bizarre circumstances. A speculative attempt from Calvin Bassey was spilled into the area and yet with no Fulham player lurking, Martinez stuck out a stray foot and it slowly trickled over the line amid Lammens’ feeble attempt to save it with his outstretched leg.
Fulham were indebted to Leno midway through the second half as he preserved their lead thanks to a good save to keep out an Mbeumo curler from outside the area.
But United did manage to claw back parity as Cunha’s late, rather hopeful attempt took a nick off David Affengruber and wrong-footed Leno as his hopes of a clean sheet were dashed.
Carrick, speaking post-match, said: “I think we did enough to win the game. It was an unfortunate own goal but for the most part we were good. Their goalkeeper has made top saves, on another day we could have two or three goals.”
And on the increasing pressure he faces, he added: “What bothers me is that we want better results. We want more points, we’re going to have a spell where it’s not quite going for you and we’ve had a spell of that where small things have ended up as big things. We don’t think things are perfect by any means. We need to win football matches.”
Cottagers’ boss Alvaro Arbeloa remains on the hunt for his maiden Premier League win but was pleased with his side’s showing.
“I’m upset because we were so close, very unlucky with the goal we conceded,” he said.
“It is what it is, we need to keep working and improving. We knew this month would be difficult against top teams. I think we are in a good way. We want points, that’s the most important thing, but I think my players are working hard and open to learn. They are playing in the way we want to play. If we continue playing this way the victories will come.”
