Manchester United produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Fulham 3-2 at Old Trafford on the morning of Sunday, February 1, 2026, with kick-off at 9:00 AM ET, in a match that dramatically shifted the Manchester United F.C. vs Fulham F.C. standings picture in the Premier League’s upper mid-table.
Benjamin Sesko’s last-gasp strike in the fourth minute of stoppage time proved the decisive blow in a pulsating five-goal encounter, sending the home fans into raptures after a nervous finale at Old Trafford.
Match Summary: A Tale of Two Halves
Casemiro broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, sliding home to give United a first-half advantage they would carry into the break.
Fulham, however, refused to capitulate and fought back to level through Raúl Jiménez’s 85th-minute penalty, with Kevin adding a second just moments later in the 90th+1st minute to give the visitors a stunning lead at that stage of the game.
United’s response was immediate and emphatic.
Matheus Cunha had earlier restored United’s lead in the 56th minute, but the match swung dramatically back and forth before Sesko, introduced from the bench, applied the killer touch in the 90th+4 minute to complete a remarkable turnaround.
The match statistics painted a picture of a closely contested affair — Fulham edged possession at 57.9% to United’s 42.1%, with both sides registering six shots on target from 13 and 14 attempts respectively.
Key Match Stats:
- Manchester United 3–2 Fulham | Old Trafford, February 1, 2026
- Goalscorers: Casemiro (19′), Cunha (56′), Sesko (90’+4) — Man United; Jiménez pen (85′), Kevin (90’+1) — Fulham
- Possession: Fulham 57.9%, Manchester United 42.1%
- Shots on Target: 6 each
- Yellow Cards: Manchester United 2, Fulham 1
- Attendance: Old Trafford, Manchester
Manchester United F.C. vs Fulham F.C. Standings Impact
The victory proved significant for both clubs’ aspirations in the 2025–26 Premier League season.
At the time of the match, United sat 4th in the table with 41 points from 24 games, while Fulham occupied 8th with 34 points.
Since then, both sides have continued their campaigns, and the most current Premier League standings tell an even more compelling story heading into the final stretch of the season.
Head-to-Head Snapshot at Time of Match (Gameweek 24):
| Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | +8 | 41 |
| Fulham | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | -1 | 34 |
Current Premier League Full Table (as of March 23, 2026):
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 31 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 61 | 22 | +39 | 70 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 60 | 28 | +32 | 61 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 56 | 43 | +13 | 55 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 31 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 42 | 37 | +5 | 54 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 50 | 42 | +8 | 49 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 53 | 38 | +15 | 48 |
| 7 | Brentford | 31 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 46 | 42 | +4 | 46 |
| 8 | Everton | 31 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 46 |
| 9 | Fulham | 31 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 43 | 44 | -1 | 44 |
| 10 | Brighton | 31 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 43 |
| 11 | Sunderland | 31 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 36 | -4 | 43 |
| 12 | Newcastle United | 31 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 44 | 45 | -1 | 42 |
| 13 | Bournemouth | 31 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 46 | 48 | -2 | 42 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 33 | 35 | -2 | 39 |
| 15 | Leeds United | 31 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 33 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest | 31 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 43 | -12 | 32 |
| 17 | Tottenham Hotspur | 31 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 40 | 50 | -10 | 30 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 31 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 36 | 57 | -21 | 29 |
| 19 | Burnley | 31 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 20 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 31 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 24 | 54 | -30 | 17 |
The win back in February has formed part of United’s impressive run that has since propelled them into third place, just nine points behind leaders Arsenal with games in hand a key factor in the title race dynamics.
Fulham, meanwhile, have recovered well to sit ninth, still very much in the hunt for European qualification.
Standings Takeaways:
- Manchester United have climbed from 4th to 3rd since the February encounter, accumulating 55 points from 31 games
- Fulham have moved from 8th to 9th, picking up 44 points in 31 games despite the narrow defeat
- United’s win proved a turning point in their push toward a Champions League berth
- Arsenal lead the table by nine points from second-placed Manchester City
- Three clubs — West Ham, Burnley, and Wolves — are battling for survival in the bottom three
