Fulham manager Marco Silva believes that the final score was the correct outcome at Old Trafford on Saturday.
After Calvin Bassey’s second half opener, it looked set to be another deflating finale against the Red Devils when Harry Maguire equalised at the end of normal time, but Alex Iwobi had other ideas.
“Clearly, in my opinion, the better team on the pitch won the game,” Silva said. “We were the team that created more chances all game, that played better, and tried to win most of the moments of the game.
“Even though we created a very good number of chances first half, it was more balanced. We had our moments, of course Man United reacted well in the last 10 minutes of the first half, they had their moments as well, but the clear chances in that first half were from ourselves.
“The first 30 minutes of the second half, the way we controlled the game, the way we always played in our offensive half at Old Trafford against Man United is not easy to do, and we did it.
“We did not give almost anything for them, we were always trying to score and to start leading the game. We scored, and after came a normal reaction from Man United and Old Trafford, the crowd’s reaction played a big part in it, I believe.
“We conceded a bit of an unlucky goal, even if our coordination in the offside alignment was not how it should be, it was a bit unlucky. But we showed a strong mentality.
“It was a moment for us to not concede a second, because Old Trafford was on fire in that moment and they believed that they could score the 2-1, but we showed the strong mentality – not just to keep the result, but to try to win.
“Even before the 2-1 we had a very good chance from Rodrigo inside the box to score the 2-1 and start leading the score again. A really well deserved three points and, I repeat again, the best team won.”
Having been on the wrong end of some late goals this season, Iwobi’s winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time was all the more satisfying.
“We have been punished in some games, more away from home, in the last minutes of the games,” Silva stated.
“Even the last game that we played away against Burnley – we were leading 2-0 with the game completely under control, and we concede a goal in the 80th minute of the game, and then with the reaction they equalised in the last minute.
“This afternoon they scored again – 89[th minute] – and even the game at Craven Cottage this season when Man United won the game in the last minute of the match, too.
“In that moment, as I said, they equalised and Old Trafford was completely on fire, pushing them. It was a moment where we had to be really strong mentally to keep the result and, of course, try to win in any moment where we had the chance.
“The players showed that, it’s a good sign for us, a sign that we are growing, we are growing as a team in terms of maturity to control this type of game, like we did this afternoon.”