Manchester United have captured their first win of the season, but they needed a big save from David de Gea to do it, and they might have lost one of their best players to injury in the process. The Red Devils held on for a 3-2 win over Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday, but Wayne Rooney took studs to the knee in stoppage time and suffered a nasty gash. Time will tell if he simply needs stitches or if his injury is much worse.
Damien Duff kicked off the scoring in an exciting match, turning in a Bryan Ruiz free kick in the 3rd minute. It didn't take long for Robin van Persie, in the lineup for Rooney, to respond. He netted his first goal as a United player in the 10th minute with a fantastic first-time strike, equalizing for the Red Devils.
The rest of the first half was dominated by Manchester United, and they carried a 3-1 lead into halftime. Their second goal was scored by Shinji Kagawa, who scored a tap-in after Mark Schwarzer blocked a shot in the 35th minute. In the 41st minute, Rafael da Silva headed in a lofted cross by Ashley Young.
Fulham were much better in the second half, but they needed a gift from United to get back into the match. Nemanja Vidic made things interesting in the 64th minute when he turned in a terrible own goal. Alex Ferguson decided to play some risky tactics and attempt to hold onto his one-goal lead, a decision that eventually paid off.
Rooney came on as a substitute in the 68th minute and suffered his injury right as stoppage time began, when Hugo Rodellega accidentally stepped on his knee. He had a massive bloody gash that had to be taped up, and he was removed from the game on a stretcher.
The Cottagers almost found a 95th minute equalizer, but De Gea made a very good reaction save on a close-range header at the death to seal the win for United.
For more on the Red Devils, head over to Manchester United blog The Busby Babe. For more on the Cottagers, check out Fulham FC blog Cottagers Confidential.
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