Match Preview
Manchester United v Fulham
Premiership Match Day 01 24/25 at Old Trafford, Manchester
Friday 16th August 2024 KO: 20:00
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
Live on Sky Sports
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Kicking off the new Premier League season at the 'Theatre of Dreams', Fulham and Manchester United meet for their top-flight opener on Friday evening.
Old Trafford plays host as the 2024-25 campaign gets under way, with both Fulham and Man Utd aiming to improve on last season.
Fulham had been beaten in 24 of those encounters before winning 2-1 at Old Trafford in February, and they are now aiming to post consecutive away victories against Manchester United for the very first time.
While United have been busy recruiting new players, the Cottagers are still rebuilding following the summer exits of Tosin Adarabioyo, Joao Palhinha and long-serving defender Tim Ream.
Marco Silva's side ultimately ended the 2023-24 season in 13th place, as the ex-Everton boss snubbed a lucrative contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and opted to stay in England.
Often impressive at Craven Cottage but somewhat flaky when on the road, his team won two of their last three away games last term - drawing the other - which doubled their tally of successes from the first 16.
Furthermore, three of Fulham's last four league meetings with Manchester United have been won by the away side, each courtesy of a late winner, and Silva is unbeaten in nine opening-day matches - so precedent points towards a positive result on Friday.
For the 10th time in 11 seasons, Manchester United begin their league campaign on home turf - Fulham's visit on Friday will make it a Premier League record eight years on the spin - and pressure is already loaded on Erik ten Hag's team.
After a miserable time in the top flight and Europe last term, a slight ray of sunshine broke through the gloom as United beat neighbours Manchester City to lift the FA Cup, but that result was reversed in their first competitive fixture of the new season.
The Red Devils lost to their city rivals in Saturday's FA Community Shield, narrowly missing out on more silverware at Wembley by following a 1-1 draw in the curtain-raiser with penalty-shootout defeat.
Not only has Ten Hag kept his job despite much speculation and behind-the-scenes manoeuvres from United's ambitious new owners, but he has also been joined by some familiar faces for the upcoming campaign.
In addition to returning hero Ruud van Nistelrooy partnering his fellow Dutchman in the dugout, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have just arrived to bolster an injury-hit defensive department.
Mixed results in pre-season - which featured three defeats from five matches, including a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the USA - have caused some concern, but the 20-time English champions are now honing in on their first league fixture.
On home soil last season, United suffered six defeats in 19 top-flight contests; that included one to Friday's opening opponents, who they had previously lost to just three times in 33 Premier League meetings.
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Fulham are looking to win consecutive away league visits to Manchester United for the first time.
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Manchester United have lost just four of their 34 Premier League meetings with Fulham (W24, D6).
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But the Cottagers won their most recent encounter in February, ending an 18-match winless run against United with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.
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Fulham have finished 10th and 13th in the last two seasons after their previous three Premier League campaigns ended in relegation.
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The Cottagers won four Premier League away fixtures last season, including their victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford (D6, L9).
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Marco Silva is unbeaten in all six opening fixtures as a manager in English league football (W1, D5).
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Emile Smith Rowe scored 10 goals in 33 Premier League games for Arsenal in 2021-22 but failed to net in all 25 top-flight appearances in the two seasons since.
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Manchester United are the first side in Premier League history to start with a home game in eight consecutive seasons.
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They have won their opening top-flight fixture a record 21 times.
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United were eighth in the Premier League last season, their lowest league finish since ending 1989-90 in 13th place.
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The Red Devils lost nine home matches in all competitions last season, equalling the club record for most competitive home defeats in a single campaign.
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Source Jonathan O'Shea at Sportsmole/BBC Sports