Carrick says Leno stopped United beating Fulham

Michael Carrick left Craven Cottage saying Bernd Leno was the main reason Manchester United did not take all three points from the Fulham vs Manchester United draw. United were held to 1-1, hit the post twice, and Carrick said the Fulham goalkeeper had made three top saves.

Leno's role in the draw

"I think probably their goalkeeper really. The saves that he made today - he has probably made three top saves. We have hit the post twice and had a load of opportunities," Carrick told goal.com. He also said: "I thought we should have won the game, I thought we created enough to win the game."

That is hard to argue with if you look at the evening United had. Bernd Leno's recent rating of 7.47 against United backs up the impression of a keeper who kept busy and kept stopping shots when the game was there to be won. Matheus Cunha was United's standout attacker with an 8.2 rating, and his late equaliser at least spared them a defeat.

Carrick also pointed to the way the match swung around a strange concession. "The goal we did concede is one of them goals," he said. "The boys could have thought it is one of those days, but I really like the reaction. We nearly won it in the end."

United's start still looks thin

The draw left United with just five points from their opening five Premier League matches. That is the joint-lowest start at this stage of a season, with the previous mark dating back to 2014-15.

Carrick tried to push back on the idea that United were flat or passive. Speaking to goal.com, he said: "I didn't think we were. Did you think we were? Football is a difficult game. We controlled a lot of the first half."

He added that the side finished strongly, and that lines up with the late pressure United did manage at Craven Cottage. But the damage was already done by then: the own goal from Lisandro Martínez and the chances Leno kept out meant the visitors were always chasing the result.

United now move on with a point and another reminder that their performances are not always matching the returns on the scoreboard. Five points from five is still a poor opening spell, and the Fulham draw sits right in that pattern.