Joshua Zirkzee scored on his debut to help Manchester United win over Fulham on the opening day of the Premier League season. Here are the highlights.

1. Headache with virtual striker

Looking at the line-up against Fulham, it was clear that United had decided to play in the same way they did in the FA Cup final at the end of last season.

With Rasmus Hojlund unavailable and Joshua Zirkzee on the bench, Ten Hag opted for a 4-2-4 formation, with Marcus Rashford and Amad wide, and Fernandes and Mason Mount expected to put pressure on the Fulham defence with runs into the box.

This strikerless lineup had some bright moments with Casemiro and Fernandes combining, but their finishing was not of good enough quality, typically Bruno’s one-on-one with the goalkeeper in the first half or Mount’s miss after Rashford’s breakthrough at the beginning of the second half.

2. The danger of Adama Traore

Most of Fulham’s threat came from the right flank, with Adama Traore. His pace is renowned in the Premier League, and it caused United problems at times.

The former Wolves winger was outstanding as he beat two United defenders, including Lisandro Martinez, but could not find a team-mate to help. Traore’s pace on the counter-attack was a constant threat, with Dalot pushing forward on the left, creating some tense moments for the hosts.

3. Counterattack problem

Fulham’s most dangerous moments came when they won the ball back from Man United. This happened a number of times, and the Red Devils were lucky not to concede at least one goal.

Andreas Pereira missed a great chance when he failed to get the ball to Alex Iwobi in a 2 v 1 with Harry Maguire. And Martinez cleared Pereira’s low pass after another loss of possession. Ten Hag needs to address such mistakes or his team will pay the price this season.