Man United 1-0 Fulham: Joshua Zirkzee strikes late on dream debut to secure dramatic opening day victory and spare Red Devils’ blushes after host of missed chances

A low cross from the right and a left-foot jab from a new signing. In the blink of an eye, a match was won and an evening transformed. Welcome to Manchester United Joshua Zirkee.

For 87 minutes, this was another United performance that had been pulled out of the vault of last season. Some light and some shade, but nothing consistently impressive or good enough. Manager Erik ten Hag had said his team were not ready for the new season and he risked being proven right. A draw here and the atmosphere of last season was back.

But if United’s newly assembled football department has tried to do one thing this summer, it’s add depth to Ten Hag’s squad. Zirkee is a 23-year-old Dutch forward signed from Bologna and, despite starting the night as a substitute, he stepped up to make the impact we all dream of as schoolchildren.

United hadn’t been bad before that. Not at all. They’d been held off a couple of times by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Bruno Fernandes twice in the first half. Mason Mount early in the second.

Moreover, they had failed to find the fluidity and control needed to overwhelm a Fulham team who had come to Manchester because they saw an opportunity.

United had indeed weakened noticeably as the second half wore on. Fulham had been threatening. There were some nerves about this famous old stadium as Fulham created some very good situations and then squandered them on the counter-attack.

But when another substitute, Alejandro Garnacho, made a low and hopeful pass with three minutes left, Zirkee connected delicately and perfectly, guiding it past Leno and into the far corner of the Stretford End.

There was a moment of silence. The ball had gone into the net rather slowly. But as the realization dawned, players from both teams fell to their knees. Zirkee had won the game with a moment of genuine calm and quality and both teams knew it. As he prepared to leave the field after the final whistle, Zirkee fell into an embrace with a former Dutch striker of note, United’s assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy. Game knows game, as they say.

So United and Ten Hag have a win to start their season and as much as the manager wants to project a sense of calm, he will know exactly what that means. His team travel to Brighton next Saturday afternoon and that involvement will feel a little less daunting.

Here his team had some new faces, some old faces who may not have much time left at the club and also some who wanted to make the most of a fresh start. Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount fell into the latter category, although another who had hoped to be here did not.

Jadon Sancho, who reportedly made amends with Ten Hag after last season’s unpleasant events, was not in the squad.

For the first 20 minutes or so Fulham were the better team. They enjoyed possession, had the better shape and created a few decent chances. United were again forced to play mainly on the counter.

Fulham winger Adama Traore got away on the right a couple of times and also fired wide. Striker Rodrigo Muniz then headed down and into traffic from a corner. Meanwhile, in the 13th minute, Kenny Tete made a leap forward to draw a great save from Andre Onana with a curling shot from 25 yards.

United looked vulnerable and lacking. When they tried to press Fulham in possession they failed as a unit. As a result they were far too easy to pass. But they improved and had a very good 20 minutes before half-time and Fernandes should have scored twice in the space of six minutes.

Fulham goalkeeper Leno gave the ball away to a rather gaunt Casemiro in the 29th minute and redeemed himself by saving United captain Fernandes with his body. Shortly afterwards, Casemiro played a stunning first time to free Fernandes again and this time Leno saved with his left leg.

United seemed to have found the key to the Fulham door, if not quite the lock. Early in the second half, Fernandes – playing as a false nine – dropped deep to free Rashford and when he fed Mount from inside, Leno again proved too tough to beat.

Ten Hag’s team were in the balance and Old Trafford looked set to cheer them on through the tape. Zirkee and Garnacho were sent off in the 60th minute and it seemed a smart move. But then United lost their purpose and momentum again.

For much of the rest of the evening, Fulham looked the likely scorer. Casemiro was prominent during his team’s better periods, but faded.

Once again United lacked control and Fulham could have led but their counterattack was poor.

Andreas Pereira – once of United – criminally wasted a chance to clear Alex Iwobi, leaving Traore to make a dash for Pereira to cross and United defender Lisandro Martinez to clear the ball from under the shadow of his own crossbar.

This was not a match full of quality, but it was no less exciting for that. In injury time, Garnacho almost comically shot wide of an open goal.

On this occasion it was only the pride that was lost. There always seems to be an element of danger when United play and that makes them watchable, albeit sometimes for the wrong reasons.

We expect them to improve from here, they do have a deeper squad.

But until we see clear patterns in football and a clear signal of how Ten Hag really wants to play, questions remain.

Here they looked different in some ways, but also quite recognizable. They have a new hero for a week, but for now they’ll take this one.