Manchester United may be in their best form of the season and closing in on the top-four, but manager Erik ten Hag remains a frustrated figure on the touchline. After racing into a two-goal lead at Luton on Sunday, the Red Devils passed up several opportunities to expand their advantage and were the width of the woodwork away from being pegged back at the death.
Despite that, the mood around Old Trafford is as positive as it has been all season with United winning four consecutive league matches and with the news that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal to buy a 27.7% stake in Manchester United has been completed. Just five points separate them from fourth place pre-round, and the hosts will certainly be confident of closing that gap further as Fulham come to town considering that they’re unbeaten in each of the last 18 H2Hs (W15, D3), including four successive wins under Ten Hag.
Head-to-head, Manchester United's dominance over Fulham is evident, as they have remained undefeated in 16 Premier League clashes since a 3-0 defeat in 2009. While Fulham managed a lone victory in their last 16 league visits to Old Trafford, a memorable 3-1 triumph in 2003, recent history favors the Red Devils, with Fulham taking the lead in their league and FA Cup fixtures last season but ultimately succumbing to defeat.
There can hardly be a fixture that the travelling Cottagers faithful fear more, as Fulham haven’t tasted victory on Old Trafford’s hallowed turf since October 2003 (D2, L14)! And while Marco Silva’s men sit comfortably in mid-table, a mediocre run of just one win from their last eight in all competitions (D3, L4) hardly inspires confidence of an upset here.
Adding to that will be Fulham’s dreadful away form in 2023/24. Only basement boys Sheffield United (five) have accumulated fewer points on their Premier League travels than the Cottagers (seven), with Silva’s side going 11 league games without a win on the road since beating Everton in August (D4, L7).
Manchester United's recent form reflects a resurgence, marked by five consecutive victories across all competitions, a feat not achieved since January of the previous year. Their stronghold in February fixtures is evident, boasting an unbeaten streak of 26 Premier League games (W17, D9) in this month, with their last defeat six years ago.
A significant uptick in goal-scoring prowess is notable, with 17 goals netted in their last seven league fixtures, surpassing their previous tally of 18 goals in 18 matches. Despite their dominance, United's penchant for narrow victories is evident, with 12 of their 14 league wins this season secured by a single-goal margin. Notably, Bruno Fernandes broke his goal drought with a stoppage-time winner against Fulham on 4th November, amidst a dry spell of one goal in his past 18 league appearances. Similarly, Antony, set to turn 24, remains goalless and assist-less in his 19 league outings this season.
Conversely, Fulham's struggles away from home persist, with an 11-game winless streak in their past Premier League away fixtures (D4, L7), earning a mere seven points on the road, second only to Sheffield United. However, February seems to be a favorable month for the Cottagers, remaining unbeaten in their last 11 away league games in this month (W5, D6). Rodrigo Muniz's recent goal-scoring exploits are a silver lining for Fulham, with four goals in his last three Premier League appearances after failing to score in his first 10 outings. His potential to join an elite group of players to score in four consecutive Premier League matches for Fulham, including names like Louis Saha and Collins John, adds a glimmer of hope amidst Fulham's challenging campaign.
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