Successive wins have been a rarity for Man United this season, but they have pulled off some impressive victories in recent weeks. Matheus Cunha’s 87th-minute strike condemned league leaders Arsenal to their first home defeat of the season last weekend.

Prior to that, the Red Devils prevailed in the Manchester derby, beating Man City 2-0 on home turf. Those two results against the current top two sides in the Premier League are sure to provide Man United with a massive confidence booster, and they should be looking forward to this clash against Fulham. 

The Cottagers have also been in good form recently, and are not a side to be underestimated. Fulham have lost just one of their last six matches across all competitions, with BTTS landing in five of those. They are just two points behind Man United in the league, so these sides look evenly-matched.

Craig Pawson was lenient with his cards last weekend, as he awarded just two yellows when Arsenal played Man United. However, both of those went to the hosts. Michael Carrick’s men drew three cards from Man City, too, highlighting how they have been playing with real attacking intent, which has made them a difficult side to contain. 

The Red Devils are drawing an average of 2.16 yellow cards per game across all competitions this season, rising steeply to 2.67 when playing at Old Trafford. This selection has landed in nine of their 12 home games this season overall. 

Similarly, Fulham are averaging 2.54 yellow cards per game when playing away this season, with ten yellow cards in their last two away games alone. That includes five yellows against Leeds and Crystal Palace, respectively. This bet has landed in 10 out of eleven matches for the Cottagers on the road, including seven on the bounce.

Chances have been limited for Cunha since Michael Carrick took over, as he has opted for a standard 4-2-3-1, with Bryan Mbeumo up front. The Brazilian featured only off the bench against Arsenal and Man City, but he made the crucial difference last time out. His excellent strike from distance beat David Raya to secure the three points for his side. 

Cunha was introduced after 69 minutes in that game for Mbeumo, but Patrick Dorgu’s injury in the 81st minute saw Cunha shift over to the left wing. The 26-year-old also provided an assist against Man City - he should be rewarded with a start this weekend on the left flank, especially considering he has experience playing there for Wolves. 

Cunha is averaging 3.75 shots per 90 in the Premier League this season, with 39% of his efforts hitting the target, which is impressive accuracy.

Following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, Kobbie Mainoo has been freed from the bench and has finally been able to make his mark in the starting lineup. He made his second start of the season against Brighton in the FA Cup, where he was fouled once. 

Although he failed to win a foul in the preceding two games, it is worth noting how tough the matchups were. Man United saw just 32% possession against Man City, and 42% against the Gunners. Mainoo didn’t have the opportunity to get on the ball as much as he would have liked, but the Red Devils should have much more of a foothold in this upcoming game against Fulham. 

Man City and Arsenal both rank towards the bottom of the charts for total fouls committed in the Premier League this season, while Fulham rank sixth. That’s a much better matchup to target Mainoo here.

Manchester United must feel like it is the 1990s or early 2000s again as they are currently the talk of the town for all the right reasons, having beaten Manchester City and Arsenal since Michael Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim. Part of the rapid upturn in form has been attributed to Bruno Fernandes being moved forward from the double pivot into a more familiar number 10 role, but his good form stretches back further than that.

Fernandes has scored three times and provided six assists in his last seven appearances in all competitions.

Fulham should provide a different kind of test for ‘Carrick’s United’, as they will probably be happy to let the hosts have the ball and ask them to break them down. The Cottagers average a point per game on the road, and they’ll probably be happy to maintain that record.

Harry Wilson is another player who comes into this clash in excellent form, with four goals in his last five starts across all competitions.

He was the hero against Brighton last time out, as his 92nd-minute free-kick found the top corner, securing all three points for his side. Wilson registered three shots in that match, all of which were from outside the box, with two hitting the target. 

The Welshman is averaging 2.67 shots per 90 in the Premier League this season, with 36% of those hitting the target. The former Liverpool man has eight league goals under his belt this season, emerging as the primary attacking threat for his side - he will hope to maintain his impressive scoring record this weekend. 

Wilson has already landed this selection in tough matchups this season - he had eight shots with three on target against Chelsea, and three efforts with one on target against Liverpool before that.

Cunha’s expected arrival in the starting eleven spells danger for Castagne. The Brazilian is averaging 2.2 fouls drawn per 90 this season, and has proven to be a tricky customer to contain. He is adept at carrying the ball between the lines and should therefore find plenty of duels against Castagne. 

The Belgian international has committed just eight fouls across all competitions this season, averaging a measly 0.55 fouls per 90, but that has translated to four yellow cards. A high percentage of his infringements tend to be quite cynical, which bodes well for this selection. 

John Brooks is at the whistle for this game - while he is averaging 4.1 cards per game in the Premier League this season, which is around the league average, he can be no-nonsense at times. Brooks has already shown three red cards from just eight league matches this season.