Premier League Recap: Fulham Hold United, Palace and Forest Share Points, Everton Shine at New Home

The latest weekend of Premier League action provided drama, missed opportunities, and historic moments as Fulham frustrated Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest played out a tense draw, and Everton opened their new home with a commanding win over Brighton.

Fulham 1-1 Manchester United: Fernandes’ Miss Proves Costly

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes endured a night to forget at Craven Cottage, as his first-half penalty miss overshadowed much of the evening and allowed Emile Smith Rowe to rescue a point for Fulham.

United thought they had done enough when Leny Yoro’s deflected second-half header found the net, going down officially as a Rodrigo Muniz own goal. However, substitute Smith Rowe changed the story, latching onto an Alex Iwobi delivery from the flank that ricocheted into the six-yard box, levelling matters late on.

The 1-1 result only magnified Fernandes’ wasted spot-kick. The Portuguese midfielder appeared calm as referee Chris Kavanagh spent an age reviewing Calvin Bassey’s challenge on Mason Mount at a corner, an incident that initially caused little protest. Yet, after colliding with the referee in the build-up and resetting himself, Fernandes blasted the ball over the bar. It was his first miss from the spot since December 2023, coming on another day when United looked the better side but again failed to secure their first victory of the campaign.

Fulham, meanwhile, displayed their resilience. The Cottagers halted a run of eight successive home defeats to United and will feel particularly aggrieved about the visitors’ opener, with Bassey insisting he had been fouled by Yoro. Manager Marco Silva voiced his frustration to BBC Sport, claiming “everybody in the world” could see the infringement.

Both clubs now turn their focus to the Carabao Cup second round. Fulham host Championship outfit Bristol City on Wednesday evening (7:45pm BST), while United make the trip to Blundell Park to meet League Two side Grimsby for the first time since 1948 (8pm BST).

Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Feisty Atmosphere at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest produced a fiercely contested clash at Selhurst Park, with both sides forced to settle for a 1-1 draw amid off-pitch tensions and growing managerial speculation.

The Eagles struck first in the 37th minute when Ismaila Sarr clinically converted Daniel Munoz’s cross, steering the ball past Matz Sels. Just before the interval, Palace almost doubled their advantage as Marc Guehi’s header struck the post following Adam Wharton’s free-kick.

Forest, however, equalised in the 57th minute with their first effort on target. Callum Hudson-Odoi latched onto Dan Ndoye’s pass, used his pace to beat the defence, and fired beyond Dean Henderson at the near post. The visitors nearly snatched all three points late on, with Igor Jesus hitting the woodwork and Omari Hutchinson sending a lofted effort over the bar in stoppage time.

The match was played in a heated atmosphere. Palace fans expressed their anger at Forest’s role in their demotion from the Europa League to the UEFA Conference League, following breaches of multi-ownership regulations. Forest, who finished seventh in the league, were awarded the Europa League spot instead.

For Forest, this point made it four from their opening two fixtures. It also provided some stability after a week of uncertainty surrounding manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Pre-match, he dismissed speculation about his departure, branding rumours of an engineered exit as “nonsense” and reaffirming his commitment to the club.

Crystal Palace now shift attention to European duties, travelling to Norway for the second leg of their UEFA Conference League qualifier against Fredrikstad, holding a slender 1-0 aggregate advantage. They then return to domestic action at Aston Villa next Sunday (7pm BST). Nottingham Forest also return to Premier League duty on the same day, hosting West Ham at the City Ground (2pm BST).

Everton 2-0 Brighton: Dream Start at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Everton celebrated the opening of their magnificent new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey with a memorable 2-0 victory over Brighton, their first win of the season.

Jack Grealish, handed his first start since arriving on loan from Manchester City, played a pivotal role in both goals. His driven cross was converted by Iliman Ndiaye after 23 minutes, the forward finishing coolly from close range. The goal carried historical weight, as Ndiaye became the man to net Everton’s final Premier League strike at Goodison Park and their first at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Seven minutes into the second half, Grealish was involved again, finding James Garner who unleashed a thunderous 25-yard effort to double the Toffees’ advantage. Everton’s supporters erupted, celebrating not only the goals but the dawning of a new era at their state-of-the-art home.

Brighton, however, will rue their wasted chances. In the first half, Danny Welbeck missed from six yards, while both Kaoru Mitoma and Jan Paul van Hecke struck the frame of the goal. The visitors’ frustrations deepened in the 74th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall handled Yankuba Minteh’s strike. Welbeck stepped up, but Jordan Pickford dived to his left to deny him, sealing Everton’s clean sheet and victory.

Next up for Everton is a Carabao Cup clash with Mansfield Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Wednesday, 27 August, before a league trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday, 30 August. Brighton, meanwhile, face Oxford United away in the Carabao Cup on the same Wednesday, followed by a tough Premier League test at home to Manchester City on Sunday, 31 August.