Manchester United against Fulham

Taylor eventually collects the high ball after United play it around the box

Solskjaer wins a corner off Knight - United in no hurry

Van Nistelrooy then explodes into life again - another surge taking him into the box but his reluctance to hit left-footed means Taylor has little trouble gathering a rather weak prod from the outside of the Dutchman's right boot

Knight plays it back to Taylor as Beckham lofts another ball for Van Nistelrooy to lumber after

United happy to sit back and wait for the counter as Fulham probe

Harley's cross is too deep for Marlet. United bring it away through Beckham but then Giggs' control lets him down

Beckham cuts inside Harley to hammer a left-footed(!) drive narrowly over the bar

Neville in strongly to halt Boa Morte wide out. Fulham aren't throwing in the towel though. Ouaddou looks for Marlet but the ball slides out for a goalkick

Fulham unhappy about a raised arm on Legwinski which started the run - but the rest of defence was smashed to pieces by that barnstorming run.

Van Nistelrooy leaves Legwinski and half the Fulham side in his wake as he takes the ball from the half-way line before surging past Melville to side-foot past Taylor for a brilliant second. 2-0 United

O'Shea fails to win the aerial battle after another ball from Beckham. Goalkick

Taylor rises to collect as Van Nistelrooy, six yards out, threatens to latch onto Beckham's cross

United counter at speed but Scholes mis-hits horribly after good work from Solskjaer and Giggs

Butt clears at the near post

Marlet's up after treatment... The freekick is tapped to Knight, who blasts again but Scholes rushes out to divert the ball away for a corner

Yellow card for Ferdinand as his high boot catches Marlet in the face. Another freekick in shooting range

United counter. Scholes twists to flash a header over the bar after Beckham's cross

Fulham still in this game - Saha cuts in from the left. Marlet's excellent decoy run gives him space to shoot but the final effort is disappointing - a pea-roller into Barthez's grateful arms

Knight's thunderous strike stings the hands of Barthez, but the French keeper gathers at the second attempt

United give it away though and Giggs is forced into a rash challenge 25 yards out

United waste the corner though and Fulham break before O'Shea and Brown combine to dispossess Marlet wide out

Melville into action again - this time heading behind at the near post as Solskjaer lurks for Beckham's cross

Melville is strong to deny Giggs a shooting chance. Corner kick to United, which reaches Scholes but Malbranque brings it away

Then an early ball from Saha almost catches the home side napping. Marlet can't reach it though and Barthez slides to collect

Taylor collects Beckham's cross as the England captain runs around Harley

Scholes tripped as he robs Marlet five yards outside the United area

Giggs weaves past two defenders but his driven cross is too strong for Van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer in the middle

Neville nods back to Barthez as Boa Morte hares after a long ball from the back

Poor cross from Beckham ends a short period of United pressure as two Solskjaer crosses are headed clear

Knight recovers brilliantly to dispossess Van Nistelrooy in the box after Solskjaer releases the Dutch goal scorer

Good challenge from Melville brings a swift end to Beckham's break

Brown steps in to concede a throw as Marlet controls the ball after Fulham's restart

United on top as the half-time whistle blows. 1-0 at the break

Djetou clears after Taylor blocks Giggs' shot at the near post following good work from O'Shea and Solskjaer

Taylor had no chance as the ball skimmed in off his right post. Delight, mixed with a small dose of relief, for the Old Trafford faithful

Little argument about that - clever stuff from the Norwegian - and little argument about Van Nistelrooy's spot-kick, which is planted firmly into the bottom corner for the opening goal. 1-0 United

United rebuild. Solskjaer spins away from Djetou, but trips under his challenge in the box. Penalty!

Knight diverts Giggs' near-post nod behind for another corner. It's worked to Neville, whose cross rebounds off a Fulham head to force a superb save from Taylor

Giggs, with a gilt-edged chance, heads wide after good work and a perfectly-weighted cross from Beckham

Poor hit from Malbranque though - off the wall and Saha rushes the follow-up, scuffing it wide

Yellow card for Neville as he hauls down Marlet - the freekick is central and just outside the box

Neville does enough to disrupt Marlet as he challenges for Legwinski's cross after Scholes gives the ball away. Goalkick

Van Nistelrooy's control is less convincing as he runs onto Giggs' ball inside the box. A typical stumble and fall from the Dutch striker as the defenders close in - and ref Bennett is having none of it

Saha's instant control allows him to hammer at goal from long range after Legwinski's ball from the right. Barthez watches it rise over the bar but is furious with his defenders

Taylor makes an awkward save as Beckham's curler bounces nastily in front of him. Corner kick - but the Fulham keeper is up with more assurance to collect two-handed this time

Legwinski clatters into Beckham. United freekick, 27 yards out

Quick thinking from the England captain almost releases Solskjaer, but Taylor is out to collect at the edge of his penalty area

Beckham heads clear at the near post and United get respite as Van Nistelrooy wins a freekick upfield

Great work from Fulham - and a warning for United. Now Marlet wins a corner off O'Shea

Corner reaches Malbranque, who skips inside Solskjaer to feed Djetou, whose side-footer smacks against Barthez's crossbar. Saha follows up but Ferdinand watches the header drop wide

Neville gets across to intervene as Saha bears down on the United box - but a mishit clearance gives the London side a corner

Now Scholes whacks another right-footer after Gigg's lay-off. Taylor relieved to see it rise over the bar

Harley penalised as Neville rises to head Beckham's ball into the box. The freekick quickly taken and Scholes' far-post effort is well blocked by a defender

Knight gets across as Van Nistelrooy chases a long ball down the right. The Dutchman can't control - goalkick

Djetou denies Van Nistelrooy space to run at the defence, but United rebuild. O'Shea surges in from the left, hitting right-footed from the edge of the box - but no problem for Taylor, who collects with two hands

First real danger from the visitors as Boa Morte rises between Neville and Beckham to head wide after Legwinski's cross from the right

Giggs with the inswinging freekick, but beyond his teammates

Now a yellow card for centre-half Meville as he trips Beckham, cutting in from the right.

Melville hits long for Saha to chase but Barthez is out to collect

Tremendous movement and speed from the home side - Fulham at full stretch so far

Beckham's corner - from the right - is overhit and Fulham win a throw on the far side

Taylor palms over as Van Nistelrooy blasts at goal following Giggs' surge through midfield

Ouaddou slides in to concede a corner as Solskjaer speeds to the byeline from the left flank. Legwinski heads Beckham's delivery clear - it's back to Scholes but his clever cross is just beyond the Norwegian striker as Fulham rush out

Offside against Van Nistelrooy as Scholes looks to release the Dutchman

Ferdinand speeds in to deny Boa Morte a chance to run at the United box

Melville clears off the line from Van Nistelrooy as Taylor spills Solskjaer's cross from wide out on the right. Panic stations in the Fulham box

Now O'Shea skips past Malbranque wide on the United left... Beckham's up for the cross in the box but Fulham can clear

First threat from Van Nistelrooy - spinning away from Knight before unleashing a fierce right-footer that Taylor does well to block at the near post

The Reds, in force at the near post, clear easily

The visitors win a freekick on the left - curled in and it glances behind off a United head. Corner

Then Giggs counters, tripping over the feet of Ouaddou as he reaches the Fulham penalty area. Again nothing given

Marlet surges toward the United box, stumbling under Brown's challenge but ref Steve Bennett waves play on

Harley wins an early throw down the left - quickly taken but it's marshalled back to Barthez

Keane, Silvestre and Veron the only senior absentees after the youth team's run-out in midweek...

A more familiar line-up for the Red Devils as they kick off at Old Trafford

Manchester United can go to the top of the Premiership table with victory at home to Fulham. Join us from 12.30 GMT

Marlet's up after treatment... The freekick is tapped to Knight, who blasts again but Scholes rushes out to divert the ball away for a corner

Yellow card for Ferdinand as his high boot catches Marlet in the face. Another freekick in shooting range

United counter. Scholes twists to flash a header over the bar after Beckham's cross

Fulham still in this game - Saha cuts in from the left. Marlet's excellent decoy run gives him space to shoot but the final effort is disappointing - a pea-roller into Barthez's grateful arms

Knight's thunderous strike stings the hands of Barthez, but the French keeper gathers at the second attempt

United give it away though and Giggs is forced into a rash challenge 25 yards out

United waste the corner though and Fulham break before O'Shea and Brown combine to dispossess Marlet wide out

Melville into action again - this time heading behind at the near post as Solskjaer lurks for Beckham's cross

Melville is strong to deny Giggs a shooting chance. Corner kick to United, which reaches Scholes but Malbranque brings it away

Then an early ball from Saha almost catches the home side napping. Marlet can't reach it though and Barthez slides to collect

Taylor collects Beckham's cross as the England captain runs around Harley

Scholes tripped as he robs Marlet five yards outside the United area

Giggs weaves past two defenders but his driven cross is too strong for Van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer in the middle

Neville nods back to Barthez as Boa Morte hares after a long ball from the back

Poor cross from Beckham ends a short period of United pressure as two Solskjaer crosses are headed clear

Knight recovers brilliantly to dispossess Van Nistelrooy in the box after Solskjaer releases the Dutch goal scorer

Good challenge from Melville brings a swift end to Beckham's break

Brown steps in to concede a throw as Marlet controls the ball after Fulham's restart

United on top as the half-time whistle blows. 1-0 at the break

Djetou clears after Taylor blocks Giggs' shot at the near post following good work from O'Shea and Solskjaer

Taylor had no chance as the ball skimmed in off his right post. Delight, mixed with a small dose of relief, for the Old Trafford faithful

Little argument about that - clever stuff from the Norwegian - and little argument about Van Nistelrooy's spot-kick, which is planted firmly into the bottom corner for the opening goal. 1-0 United

United rebuild. Solskjaer spins away from Djetou, but trips under his challenge in the box. Penalty!

Knight diverts Giggs' near-post nod behind for another corner. It's worked to Neville, whose cross rebounds off a Fulham head to force a superb save from Taylor

Giggs, with a gilt-edged chance, heads wide after good work and a perfectly-weighted cross from Beckham

Poor hit from Malbranque though - off the wall and Saha rushes the follow-up, scuffing it wide

Yellow card for Neville as he hauls down Marlet - the freekick is central and just outside the box

Neville does enough to disrupt Marlet as he challenges for Legwinski's cross after Scholes gives the ball away. Goalkick

Van Nistelrooy's control is less convincing as he runs onto Giggs' ball inside the box. A typical stumble and fall from the Dutch striker as the defenders close in - and ref Bennett is having none of it

Saha's instant control allows him to hammer at goal from long range after Legwinski's ball from the right. Barthez watches it rise over the bar but is furious with his defenders

Taylor makes an awkward save as Beckham's curler bounces nastily in front of him. Corner kick - but the Fulham keeper is up with more assurance to collect two-handed this time

Legwinski clatters into Beckham. United freekick, 27 yards out

Quick thinking from the England captain almost releases Solskjaer, but Taylor is out to collect at the edge of his penalty area

Beckham heads clear at the near post and United get respite as Van Nistelrooy wins a freekick upfield

Great work from Fulham - and a warning for United. Now Marlet wins a corner off O'Shea

Corner reaches Malbranque, who skips inside Solskjaer to feed Djetou, whose side-footer smacks against Barthez's crossbar. Saha follows up but Ferdinand watches the header drop wide

Neville gets across to intervene as Saha bears down on the United box - but a mishit clearance gives the London side a corner

Now Scholes whacks another right-footer after Gigg's lay-off. Taylor relieved to see it rise over the bar

Harley penalised as Neville rises to head Beckham's ball into the box. The freekick quickly taken and Scholes' far-post effort is well blocked by a defender

Knight gets across as Van Nistelrooy chases a long ball down the right. The Dutchman can't control - goalkick

Djetou denies Van Nistelrooy space to run at the defence, but United rebuild. O'Shea surges in from the left, hitting right-footed from the edge of the box - but no problem for Taylor, who collects with two hands

First real danger from the visitors as Boa Morte rises between Neville and Beckham to head wide after Legwinski's cross from the right

Giggs with the inswinging freekick, but beyond his teammates

Now a yellow card for centre-half Meville as he trips Beckham, cutting in from the right.

Melville hits long for Saha to chase but Barthez is out to collect

Tremendous movement and speed from the home side - Fulham at full stretch so far

Beckham's corner - from the right - is overhit and Fulham win a throw on the far side

Taylor palms over as Van Nistelrooy blasts at goal following Giggs' surge through midfield

Ouaddou slides in to concede a corner as Solskjaer speeds to the byeline from the left flank. Legwinski heads Beckham's delivery clear - it's back to Scholes but his clever cross is just beyond the Norwegian striker as Fulham rush out

Offside against Van Nistelrooy as Scholes looks to release the Dutchman

Ferdinand speeds in to deny Boa Morte a chance to run at the United box

Melville clears off the line from Van Nistelrooy as Taylor spills Solskjaer's cross from wide out on the right. Panic stations in the Fulham box

Now O'Shea skips past Malbranque wide on the United left... Beckham's up for the cross in the box but Fulham can clear

First threat from Van Nistelrooy - spinning away from Knight before unleashing a fierce right-footer that Taylor does well to block at the near post

The Reds, in force at the near post, clear easily

The visitors win a freekick on the left - curled in and it glances behind off a United head. Corner

Then Giggs counters, tripping over the feet of Ouaddou as he reaches the Fulham penalty area. Again nothing given

Marlet surges toward the United box, stumbling under Brown's challenge but ref Steve Bennett waves play on

Harley wins an early throw down the left - quickly taken but it's marshalled back to Barthez

Keane, Silvestre and Veron the only senior absentees after the youth team's run-out in midweek...

A more familiar line-up for the Red Devils as they kick off at Old Trafford

Manchester United can go to the top of the Premiership table with victory at home to Fulham. Join us from 12.30 GMT