Joshua Zirkzee made an impressive debut for Manchester United by coming off the bench and scoring in the 87th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Fulham on the first night of the Premier League season.
The Netherlands striker used his left foot to guide a cross from fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho into the net at Old Trafford.
Zirkzee, who joined from Bologna for around $47 million last month, was one of three new signings to debut for United, along with defenders Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt.
“To win here in my first home game and score a goal, it couldn’t be better,” Zirkzee said.
Zirkzee, Mazraoui, and De Ligt were part of a $180 million spending spree by Manchester United, a club under new leadership aiming to regain its former success. Despite United’s eighth-place finish last season, manager Erik ten Hag was kept on, and this match was a solid start to the new season.
“It’s just the first game, but it’s good to build belief and confidence in the team,” Ten Hag said. “I have seen the areas where we need to improve, but that’s normal in the first game of the season.”
With Zirkzee not fully fit and Rasmus Hojlund injured, United played without a main striker, which showed as midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount missed the best chances in a game that seemed to be ending until Zirkzee’s late goal.
Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made crucial saves, including two one-on-one stops against Fernandes and a sharp save to deny Mount in the second half.
Leno couldn’t stop Zirkzee’s goal in front of the Stretford End, and Garnacho missed a chance to make it 2-0 in stoppage time by shooting wide in front of an open goal.
