Manchester United stopped the rot as captain Bruno Fernandes struck in the 90th minute for a 1-0 victory at Fulham in the early English Premier League game on Saturday.
The game was becoming a lacklustre stalemate when Fernandes latched on to a loose ball on the edge of the area and drilled a low skidding shot inside the post.
Successive home defeats in United’s worst start to a season since 1962 had piled up pressure on manager Erik ten Hag and victory at Craven Cottage will release that.
But while the victory was welcome, questions still remain about where United are heading under the Dutch after another rather shapeless display.
Fulham, who were twice denied by great saves by Andre Onana in the second half and will count themselves unlucky, are down at 14th with 12 points. Fernandes has come under fire in recent weeks with former Manchester United title winners Gary Neville and Roy Keane both suggesting he should have the armband taken away after some petulant performances.
But he answered with a crucial goal when his team needed it most, although the win may only be papering over the cracks.
The only talking point of a mundane first half was Scott McTominay’s disallowed goal for United after seven minutes.
Christian Eriksen’s flighted free kick was turned across the area by Alejandro Garnacho and McTominay arrived to dispatch the ball high into the net.
But United’s celebrations were cut short, eventually, after a VAR check with referee John Brooks going to the monitor to rule it out on the basis that Harry Maguire, who was initially offside, had been interfering with play.
That was about the sum total of United’s attacking threat with a tame Fernandes effort easily saved by Bernd Leno.
Willian was Fulham’s brightest spark with an early shot blocked and some dangerous balls into the area while visiting keeper Onana made one save from Harry Wilson.
It was not a lot better in the early stages of the second half but things suddenly livened up with Onana forced into superb saves in the space of a frantic minute.
Doku dazzles
Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku scored and created two more goals in seven blistering first-half minutes before adding two more assists in the second period as the champions hammered Bournemouth 6-1.
After probing carefully for the opening half-hour, City finally opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Doku played a slick one-two with Rodri on the edge of the box before guiding the ball home.
Three minutes later Doku’s dazzling footwork left the Bournemouth defence flat-footed as he squared for Bernardo Silva to score the second and in the 37th minute, his left-foot shot was deflected into the net by Manuel Akanji.
Doku teed up substitute Phil Foden to score in the 64th and, though Luis Sinisterra pulled one back for the Cherries, Silva and Nathan Ake wrapped up the win.
