Man Utd beat Fulham 2-1 to finish the 2022-2023 Premier League in third place.
Coach Erik ten Hag still used a strong lineup in the final match, with Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Marcus Rashford starting, despite the FA Cup being played in six days. Despite struggling in the first half and falling behind, the "Red Devils" still won the match and secured third place.
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring the winning goal for Man Utd in a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford in the 38th round of the Premier League on May 28, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Fulham opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Willian took a corner from the left to the near post for Kenny Tete to head into the roof of the net. The visitors had a chance to double their lead six minutes later when they were awarded a penalty after Casemiro fouled Tom Cairney in the Man Utd box. Goalkeeper David de Gea is not known for his penalty-saving ability, but this time he dived in the right direction and saved Aleksandar Mitrovic's 11-yard shot.
From there, Man Utd dominated the game and almost equalised in the 29th minute, but midfielder Alejandro Garnacho hit the crossbar. The home side finally equalised 10 minutes later, when Fred broke into the penalty area. In an attempt to clear the ball, defender Tete passed to Jadon Sancho, who easily tapped the ball into the net from close range.
Sancho's equalizer (right). Photo: Reuters
Man Utd maintained their dominance in the second half, to score the decisive comeback goal. In the 55th minute, midfielder Fred passed the ball to Bruno Fernandes, who broke the offside trap and rushed down to face goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The Portuguese midfielder feinted and then quickly chipped the ball past Leno, leaving him no time to react.
The home side squandered several more good chances in the remaining time. They also almost paid the price with a goal if it weren't for De Gea's talent. But in the end, the three points remained at Old Trafford as Man Utd finished the Premier League season, and former manager Alex Ferguson in the stands smiled with relief.
Man Utd's season is not over yet as they still have the FA Cup final against Man City on June 3. But regardless, Man Utd already have a trophy in their pocket this season, which is the English League Cup.
Hoang An
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