Manchester United Held to 1-1 Draw with Fulham

Manchester United and Fulham Battle to 1-1 Draw

London, Aug 25 (AP) — Manchester United remains in search of its first Premier League victory this season after a 1-1 draw against Fulham in which they squandered a lead.

Everton, meanwhile, has found its stride, inaugurating its new home at Bramley-Moore Dock with a 2-0 victory over Brighton on Sunday, featuring a standout performance by Jack Grealish.

United sought to build on last weekend's encouraging, albeit losing, effort against Arsenal but missed a key opportunity to seize a first-half lead when Bruno Fernandes sent a penalty soaring over the crossbar, having just previously stumbled into the referee.

The breakthrough came as Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz accidentally deflected a header from Leny Yoro into his own net in the 58th minute, giving United a short-lived lead.

Ruben Amorim’s squad, however, couldn't retain the advantage as Fulham substitute Emile Smith Rowe slotted home an equalizing cross from Alex Iwobi in the 73rd minute.

United's failure to score from open play persists, even after spending around 200 million pounds ($270 million) over the summer to bolster their attack by signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko. Sesko was again introduced as a substitute in the second half for the second consecutive match.

New Era Unfolds at Everton

Jack Grealish, marking his first start for Everton, showcased glimpses of the form that once had him regarded as an English soccer prodigy. On loan from Manchester City to rejuvenate his career, Grealish deftly dribbled into the penalty area and set up Iliman Ndiaye for a volleyed goal, inaugurating a new chapter for Everton as they bid farewell to Goodison Park, their long-standing ground. Coincidentally, Ndiaye had also been responsible for scoring the last goal at Goodison Park back in May.

Grealish further demonstrated his playmaking abilities by assisting James Garner, who struck from outside the area for Everton’s second goal — a tally of assists equaling Grealish’s total from the past two Premier League seasons at Manchester City. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford contributed with a penalty save from Danny Welbeck, thrilling the 51,759-strong home crowd inside the new stadium. Pickford is known for referencing names and target areas of potential opposition penalty-takers on his water bottle.

This marked Everton’s first win of the season following their 1-0 defeat to Leeds in the opening match.

No Love Lost: Crystal Palace vs. Nottingham Forest

Crystal Palace fans made their feelings clear regarding Nottingham Forest during the teams' 1-1 stalemate at Selhurst Park. Palace, last season's FA Cup winner, found itself demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League last month after breaching UEFA club ownership rules — a decision the club believes was influenced by Forest and its owner, Evangelos Marinakis, who gained promotion to the Europa League at Palace's expense.

Pre-match tensions manifested into a provocative banner targeting Marinakis, complemented by hostile chants from Palace's fervent supporters aimed at UEFA.

Palace took the lead in the 37th minute through Ismaila Sarr, but Callum Hudson-Odoi equalized for Forest in the 57th minute, with Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo remaining in charge amidst summer tensions with Marinakis. (AP)

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