United survive a wobble at Fulham

Rúben Amorim's side went into the weekend off the back of a League Cup exit and a defeat to Brighton, the kind of double blow that tends to get a manager's name trending for the wrong reasons. A third defeat in a row against Fulham would have turned a bad week into a genuine crisis. Instead, United came away with a point, according to Foot Mercato, which described the result as United snatching the draw rather than controlling it.

That framing matters. According to the current Premier League standings, United sit 12th after five games, with a record that has been more level than convincing so far this season, capable of moments but not yet stringing them together into anything resembling consistency.

A point that buys breathing room

For Amorim, the value of Sunday's result isn't in the quality of the performance, it's in what it prevents. A third straight loss would have piled real pressure onto a manager still trying to stamp his ideas on a reshaped squad. Instead, the draw against Fulham keeps United's campaign ticking rather than unravelling.

United's supporters will want more than damage limitation before long. But after the Brighton defeat and the League Cup exit, Amorim will take a point that stops the slide and gives his side something to build from.

Whether this draw marks the floor United needed to hit before climbing, or just a pause before the next dip, plays out over the next few fixtures.