Fulham still winless in PL after Man United stalemate at Craven Cottage
Latest result: Fulham 1-1 Manchester United (20 September 2026)
The Cottagers remain without a Premier League victory through their opening five matches after being held at home by Manchester United. Fulham took the lead when Lisandro Martinez put the ball into his own net, but their advantage was cancelled out by a deflected Matheus Cunha strike that denied them what would have been a famous first win of the campaign. Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa expressed mixed emotions after the game, clearly frustrated at dropping two more points after a promising performance.
Before that, Fulham had a busy week — they earned a gritty 0-0 draw at Liverpool on September 12, then recovered to beat West Ham United 3-2 in the Carabao Cup third round on September 15, advancing to a fourth-round home tie against Crystal Palace.
Form and league picture
Fulham's Premier League results so far this season make for difficult reading: a 2-3 home defeat to Crystal Palace, a 1-0 loss at Sunderland, and a 2-3 opening day reverse against Chelsea. The single point from the Liverpool draw and another point against United leaves them still searching for that elusive first win. Their next Premier League fixture is away at Ipswich on October 10, giving the squad a welcome chance to regroup during the international break.
Injuries and team news
Fulham have been dealing with a thin injury list in recent weeks. Club captain Tom Cairney remains sidelined and his recovery is ongoing. Right-back Kenny Tete was ruled out for the Manchester United match under concussion protocols after being struck by the ball during the Liverpool game at Anfield. Left-back Ryan Sessegnon has been nursing a groin problem that kept him out of the last two matches, though Arbeloa indicated he was hoping the full-back could train ahead of the United fixture. The availability of all three will be monitored ahead of the Ipswich trip.
Manager quotes
Arbeloa has been openly demanding of himself and his squad throughout the tough early run. In his pre-United press conference he praised the fringe players who stepped up in the Carabao Cup win over West Ham, singling out striker Rodrigo Muniz in particular, noting the Brazilian had already scored more goals in five games than he managed across the entire previous season. After the draw with United, the Spaniard made clear he felt his side deserved more from the match.
Transfer talk
(The following are rumours and have not been confirmed by the club.) With the summer window now closed, attention is already shifting to January. According to reports circulating before the window shut, Manchester United were said to be monitoring Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson as an option to strengthen their defensive options. Separately, reports linked Fulham with an interest in Celta Vigo central defender Javi Rodríguez, while the club were also said to be keeping tabs on Stade Rennais midfielder Djaoui Cissé. None of these moves materialised before the September 1 deadline, but they could resurface in the winter window.