Manchester United 1-0 Fulham: Red Devils Player Ratings as they open campaign with win | Premier League 2024-25

Joshua Zirkzee turned out to be Manchester United's hero on his debut as his late goal handed his side all three points in their Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday (August 16).

Coming into the game, Erik ten Hag handed a start to Noussair Mazraoui while other summer signings Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee were named on the bench. Amad Diallo started ahead of Alejandro Garnacho while Jadon Sancho was left out of the team altogether.

Fulham, meanwhile, saw club-record signing Emile Smith Rowe start, with Rodrigo Muniz leading the line.

The two sides played out a cagey first half. Kenny Tete tested Andre Onana from long range while Bernd Leno pulled off good saves to deny Bruno Fernandes twice.

The game opened up a little more in the second period as both sides looked to edge ahead. With time ticking, Zirkzee executed a deft finish from Garnacho's cross to hand Manchester United the lead in the 87th minute.

The Argentine forward missed a golden chance in stoppage time, firing wide in front of the net but Manchester United held on to secure all three points. Here are the player ratings:

Manchester United Player Ratings

Andre Onana - 6.5/10

A calm outing for Onana who really didn't have much to do, making two saves in all. He also looked composed in distribution.

Noussair Mazraoui - 6/10

A decent first outing for the Moroccan defender, doing well defensively to deal with Alex Iwobi.

Harry Maguire - 7/10

Arguably Manchester United's best defender on the night, Maguire used his physicality to defend well while also looking sharp in possession. He finished with five clearances, one block, and two interceptions while also making eight passes into the final third.

Lisandro Martinez - 6.5/10

The centre-back did well alongside Maguire, including a crucial clearance off the line.

Diogo Dalot - 6/10

Similar to his counterpart on the right, Dalot did not offer much going forward but was good defensively.

Casemiro - 7.5/10

An energetic performance from Casemiro as he was heavily involved in the affair, even going forward. He finished with three shots, three chances created, four passes into the final third, and two accurate long balls.

Mason Mount - 6/10

Mount proved to be a willing runner off the ball, contributing to United's press but was largely silent in possession before being taken off close to the hour mark.

Amad Diallo - 6/10

Similar to Mount, the winger had a silent outing and was taken off for Garnacho.

Marcus Rashford - 6/10

He struggled to create an impact on the game for most parts but set up an opportunity on a plate for Garnacho in stoppage time, only for him to miss.

Bruno Fernandes - 6.5/10

Manchester United's experiment of using Fernandes as a false nine continues to pay dividends, as the Portugal international showed his class yet again. He was heavily involved in the attack but could have done better with his two chances in the first half.

Substitutes

Joshua Zirkzee - 7/10

A debut to remember for the Dutch international. He did not feature in the side's recent pre-season games, casting doubts over his situation but his deft finish proved to be valuable.

Alejandro Garnacho - 6.5/10

He proved to be an upgrade over Diallo down the right flank, eventually setting up the winner with a good cross. However, he had a shocking miss later on.

Jonny Evans, Matthijs de Ligt, and Scott McTominay - N/A

The trio came on too late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.