Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Michael Carrick insists Manchester United’s form is “not a catastrophe or a disaster” as they look to end their recent woes against Fulham this weekend.
United have won just one of their opening four Premier League games this season (D1 L2), losing in controversial fashion against rivals Manchester City last time out.
Their misery was compounded during the week after losing in the third round of the EFL Cup against Brighton, despite leading 2-0 at half-time.
It was the first time United had lost at Old Trafford from 2+ goals ahead in over 50 years, since a 3-2 loss to Spurs in September 1976.
Despite their poor run of form, Carrick believes it is important United do not dwell on their recent defeats.
“We’ve got to put things into perspective, it’s not a catastrophe or a disaster, it’s not the end of the world,” said Carrick.
“We’re not in a place where we have gone on an awful long run of horrific results.
“We’ve lost a couple of games recently. We feel we’ve started and been in all the games we’ve played, we’re not having a real struggle all the time.
“We’ve done a lot of good things, the belief comes from that. The good things we’ve done get lost in the surrounding feelings, but they don’t get lost by us.”
Featuring updates on Carlos Baleba and Luke Shaw…
Michael Carrick’s latest team news update is in
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 18, 2026
Fulham, meanwhile, are also under pressure, having won just one point from their opening four league games in 2026-27.
They managed to pick up their second win across all competitions after defeating West Ham 3-2 in the EFL Cup, with their only other win coming in the same competition (versus Wimbledon).
With both managers under some pressure, Alvaro Arbeloa anticipates a “good battle” at Craven Cottage.
“Every Premier League manager is under pressure, it’s the same for every manager, and it’s not because [of] what comes from outside, it’s because you have to be really demanding from yourself,” said the Spaniard.
“All the managers, we want to win every weekend and, for sure, when you are a coach of a big team you are always under pressure.
“But it’s the same for me, because I need to win games.
“I think both teams will want to win the game on Sunday, so it’s going to be a good battle.”
King has made 44 Premier League appearances for Fulham, the most of any teenager for the Cottagers.
In the last two seasons, King has made the second most appearances of any teenager in Europe’s big five leagues (36), behind only Yan Diomande.
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has five assists in his last five Premier League appearances in London.
In fact, in the last two seasons, Fernandes has more assists (five) than any Fulham player has managed in the capital (Harry Wilson, now at Leeds United, on four).
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
United have lost just one of their last 21 Premier League games against Fulham (W16 D4), going down 2-1 at Old Trafford in February 2024.
Fulham are also winless in their last 10 Premier League home games against United (D2 L8) since winning back-to-back matches against them at Craven Cottage in 2009.
United had more shots (84) than any other Premier League side across the first four matchdays of this season, and only Brighton (10.2) accumulated a higher xG figure (8.3). It is the most shots they have had in the first four games of a season on record (since 2003-04).
Fulham, meanwhile, are enduring their longest winless start (D1 L3) to a league season since 2020-21, when they failed to win any of their first six Premier League games.
Arbeloa is the first Fulham boss to fail to win any of his first four league games in charge since Scott Parker in March and April 2019 (first five).
Fulham have also failed to score in 10 Premier League matches in 2026, more than any other side. It is the highest percentage of games (42%, 10/24) they have failed to score in one year in the league since 2010 (also 42%, 16/38).
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