It was meant to be a straightforward affair – defeat Fulham for the second weekend in a row to go 10 points clear at the top of the table.
But Manchester United’s match alongside the River Thames proved far from easy, and it took a late Wayne Rooney goal to take the 3 points.
The match will probably be remembered for an issue with the floodlights at Craven Cottage, which held the game up for 9 minutes before halftime. In the same week that Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed put the club’s finances into the black, the headlines about Fulham not having paid their electricity bill wrote themselves.
Either side of the stadium being plunges into darkness, the players from both teams lit up the London atmosphere in a match full of free-flowing football and attacking ambition. This was a vastly different situation from the FA Cup tie at Old Trafford at the end of January, when Fulham were played off the park.
For me, one of the main differences – besides it being a home fixture for Fulham – was the fact that they did not concede an early goal. Last week, Aaron Hughes’ needless handball after 40 seconds was the catalyst for a 4-1 United victory, as Ryan Giggs’ penalty left Fulham with a mountain to climb.
But on Saturday, both sides started the match strongly, and this characterised the game, with Fulham attacking one minute and United the next. John Arne Riise thumped a shot against the bar from 30 yards, and Rooney hit the bar and post at the other end. Keepers David De Gea and Mark Schwarzer were kept busy all night.
Play was held up in the 43rd minute, as all the lights went out. Everyone looked unsure about what to do in the situation, and all the players trudged across the pitch towards the dressing room, before returning a few minutes later to complete the half.
The pattern continued in the second half, but it wasn’t until the 80th minute that a breakthrough came, and it was from a familiar source. Rooney got onto Jonny Evans’ long-ball and finished in trademark style to the right of Schwarzer. To their credit, the Fulham faithful remained in good voice, as they seemed an equaliser in vein.
This seemed like a pivotal victory, on the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo’s last minute winner at the same venue in 2007. The extra two points may prove to be crucial in the final standings.
By Daniel Matcham @@03matchamdan
