JOSHUA ZIRKZEE sat on the bench and watched as chances came and went.

Then he came on the pitch and showed everyone how to put one away.

Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench to score on his Man Utd debut

He got a deft touch on Alejandro Garnacho’s low cross

And it ended up creeping past superb Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno

 

Bruno Fernandes had two great chances to give Man Utd the lead in the first half

A dream debut after coming on as a 60th minute sub, finishing with an 87th minute flick that won the game. Wow.

Chances came and went before that goal as they looked like drawing a blank in their season opener with Bruno Fernandes spurning the best two.

There was not that recognised striker on the pitch from the start and it showed.

It is fair to say there had been a mixture of excitement and trepidation amongst the Red Devils fans ahead of the game.

The excitement comes from four new signings from which Noussair Mazraoui was the only starter last night.

He watched a first half that saw United rocked on the break early on but one they were in control of as it grew.

It was clear Fulham were happy to sit deep and catch United on the break.

They did just that through the Olympic sprinters pace of Adama Traore who tore into the home sides box before pulling the ball back.

New buy Mazraoui got an immediate ovation from the Stretford End for the way he had read the situation and cut the pass out.

Going forward the new full-back also would play five passes into the final third in that opening period and had a fine debut.

United were still appealing for a penalty when Fulham cut loose for a second time.

This moved finished with a curling shot towards the top corner from Kenny Tete which Andre Onana tipped over.

The Red Devils steadied themselves and began to play some neat passing football.

Both Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo were looking particularly good.

Casemiro was also looking a lot slimmer than this time last season and was on the ball to twice set up Ferndandes with great chances.

The first came after a mistake by goalkeeper Bernd Leno saw him fire the ball straight at the Brazilian.

Casemiro immediately fed it back through for Fernandes who shot with the outside of his right boot, but Leno recovered the situation saving with an outstretched leg.

It was the same scenario moments later when again the pair combined only for Leno once more to save this time with an outstretched boot.

Mason Mount was positioned in the center, while Fernandes was playing as a false nine. Marcus Rashford would sporadically enter the game from a wide position.

A long corner from Diallo to the far post was hit by Casemiro’s head with such force in the latter moments of the half that the ball rebounded up off the pitch and over the bar.

In the first half, United was exerting every effort to gain a penalty, but neither Harry Maguire’s nor Diallo’s claims were anywhere close to meriting further investigation.

The centre-back got a booking for a clear dive.

United kept up the pressure at the start of the second-half but when Ten Hag saw another chance come and go, with this time Mount denied by Leno, he turned to his bench.

On came Garnacho and enter too Zirkzee to try and turn all that good build up play into a goal.

The pair combined to do just that.

The £36.5million signing from Bologna finished off a superb move from deep inside their own half.

It ended with the excellent Casemiro feeding Alejandro Garnacho on the right and his fine low cross was met by the outstretched boot of Zirkzee in front of a delirious Stretford End.

In the final minute of the match, Rashford was set clean through on goal after Calvin Bassey miscued a clearance.

Rather than opting to shoot, he squared the ball to Garnacho, but the pass to the Argentine was poor and left the 20-year-old shooting wide of the mark after failing to sort his feet out before his shot.

Erik ten Hag was welcomed back to the Old Trafford dugout for a third season

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno denied Mason Mount from close range after the break

Harry Maguire was booked for simulation after 40 minutes

Adama Traore proved to be a handful for Man Utd defenders in the first half