Matheus Cunha’s deflected strike rescued a point for Manchester United late on to deny Fulham a first Premier League win of the season.
Lisandro Martinez’s bizarre own goal at Craven Cottage had looked set to condemn the visitors to a third consecutive defeat.
However, with just a minute of the 90 remaining, Cunha’s shot from 20 yards took a wicked deflection off Fulham centre-back David Affengruber, wrongfooted goalkeeper Bernd Leno and found the corner of the net.
It was particularly harsh on Leno, who had made a number of big saves as United pushed for a leveller.
Michael Carrick’s side at least avoid a third loss in a week, but head into the international break in 12th place, having taken just five points from their first five games, while Fulham are 19th on two points.
After an even start, United gradually looked to be taking control of an engaging first half with Bruno Fernandes inches away from an opener when his shot came back off the post from Cunha’s cutback.
But that scare seemed to wake Fulham up, and for the next 10 minutes it felt like a different game with the sides taking turns to pour forward and chances at both ends, Josh King and Oscar Bobb coming close for the hosts while Cunha’s long-range effort was deflected and looped over Leno before coming back off the post.
United forward Marcus Rashford volleyed a great chance over late in the half but the game stayed goalless.
After a turgid start to the second half, the game was jolted into life when United goalkeeper Senne Lammens made a mess of Calvin Bassey’s low shot before Martinez’s poor touch sent the ball into his own net with the Belgian scrambling.
From there it was all United, with Leno at full stretch to deny Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha as Alvaro Arbeloa’s side tried to cling on.
But eventually the goal, that United’s response deserved, arrived to leave both teams a little disappointed to end the day with just a point.
United analysis: Late goal eases pressure on Carrick
It is too early in the season for Carrick’s position to be under serious threat.
But after back-to-back home defeats and, crucially, the manner of them – losing a Manchester derby having played 10 men for the majority and surrendering a two-goal lead to exit the Carabao Cup – a third league loss in five would have invited plenty of unwanted scrutiny on the Englishman.
With a three-week international break to come, there will be no escaping a certain amount of criticism and it is a long time to wait before United can attempt to start putting things right on the pitch.
But without Cunha’s somewhat fortuitous goal, it would have been a lot worse.
Overall, United were good value for a point and might even argue snatching all three would not have been unwarranted given their strong finish.
It is the 63 minutes leading up to the Fulham goal that others will focus on, though, in particular the start of the second half in which they allowed the game to drift prior to the horrendous own goal.
Lammens and Martinez will be grateful to Cunha that it did not prove the game’s decisive moment.
Carrick can now regroup and plan for a crucial stage of the season, starting against Tottenham on 10 October, knowing that if results do not pick up, it could be a defining run of his tenure.
Fulham analysis: Hosts winless but showing signs of growth
Following three consecutive losses to start the season, Fulham might not have been thrilled to see a trip to Anfield and the visit of Manchester United as their next fixtures.
But they could yet prove two of the most important games of Alvaro Arbeloa’s reign.
Two points gained, a feeling that with a little more luck they could have won either, and more than enough in the performances to see what the Spaniard wants from his side.
As at Liverpool last weekend, there was some eye-catching football on show from Fulham, playing out from the back and going smoothly from one end to the other in a flash.
The exciting Josh King, still just 19, will rightly be praised for his showing but perhaps the key for the west Londoners will be the vastly underrated Alex Iwobi.
The former Arsenal and Everton midfielder is 30, and has matured into an incredibly smart, if unglamourous player.
Playing from the left, he is responsible for conducting so many of Fulham’s attacks and more often than not his decision is the right one as shown by his game-high five chances created, all without misplacing a pass.
With Leno in fine form, perhaps the one thing Arbeloa’s team most need now is new striker Gonzalo Garcia to find his feet – and, more importantly, the net.
