Harry Maguire proved to be Manchester United’s rock at the back in win over Fulham – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United managed to bring an end to a torrid run of results by scraping out a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

While Man United’s attacking performance left a lot to be desired, save for Bruno Fernandes’s late winner, the team looked confident at the back, doing well to extinguish the home team’s attacking threat.

One player who proved particularly valuable at the back was Harry Maguire, a previously out-of-favour player who may just be proving that his career at United is not over just yet.

In the opening minutes, it appeared as if Maguire’s afternoon would be cut short after he suffered a facial injury after colliding with a Fulham player as he jumped up to win a header.

Fortunately, after receiving treatment, he was able to continue.

The centre-back soon proved to be crucial component of United’s defence, making several key clearances and tackles to maintain his team’s clean sheet.

Maguire looked particularly sharp during the second half, sliding in to block a threatening shot from Willian.

He also did well to jockey the ball away from Harry Wilson and João Palhinha, preventing another goalscoring opportunity.

Out of both teams, it was Maguire who had the most involvement in proceedings, leading both United and Fulham with 74 touches throughout the match.

He also led both teams in passing accuracy, completing 49 of 60 attempted passes to achieve an 82% passing success rate.

While not known for his attacking prowess, the former United captain made some notable long passes, completing six of his 11 attempted long balls.

In defence, Maguire led both teams yet again, making an impressive eight clearances and blocking two shots.

He also managed two tackles, while being dribbled past just once.

Maguire also showed strong physicality, winning seven of his nine aerial duels and two of his three ground duels.

While Maguire has long been viewed as a washed-out player, particularly after losing the captain’s armband, his performance against Fulham is the latest in a series of decent games that have shown that perhaps the England international has what it takes to become a regular starter yet again.

(Stats via Sofascore)