Guardian:
‘With three minutes left, Fulham exploded Manchester United's dream. This was the night when they had thought they could steal a little closer to Chelsea, Arsenal and, for that matter, Everton. But the detonation of Papa Boupa Diop's drive brought the home side level towards the end of a lively second-half display from them. United have been thwarted and seriously harmed.
‘United may look as if they are lost in the pack, but they might still feel as if that position is a useful hiding place. Even if it still needs Chelsea, in particular, to suffer a crisis Sir Alex Ferguson's players can tell themselves there are better days to come.
‘The Old Trafford club are the late developers of the Premiership season, capable of the spurt that puts them ahead of all others by the close. Now perhaps their players have recovered from the combination of injury and fatigue that bedevilled the start of their campaign.
‘Despite this result, United are now starting to have more cause to be pleased with themselves. Even the absence of Ruud van Nistelrooy, once more bedevilled by a calf strain, did not reduce the attacking to banality. In one early three-minute spell, they stepped up the pressure relentlessly to take the lead.
‘The openings were not as easy for United to fashion as they had been in the first half. When they verged on extending their lead in the 71st minutes it was with a free-kick by Gabriel Heinze that flew within a yard of the target. They were to regret their leniency by the end.’
Indie:
‘Manchester United came into this game last night feeling that they could still chase Chelsea down at the top of the Premiership, but this draw left Sir Alex Ferguson's men ruing missed chances and staring at a nine-point gap between them and the league leaders. At this rate even third place is beyond them.
‘But while the visitors were profligate as well as unlucky they came up against a Fulham side that was determined and, more importantly, efficient when they needed to be. All match long, the Londoners forced only one save from Roy Carroll as well as hitting the post, before Papa Bouba Diop finally beat the goalkeeper three minutes from time.
‘It was the scant return on such an overwhelming performance by his charges that left Ferguson so dismayed afterwards. He did not concede defeat in the title race but reminded his players that with Chelsea and Arsenal drawing on Sunday, this had been their opportunity to make up some ground.
‘If United were going to close the gap on Chelsea to a more manageable seven points, barring the absent, injured Ruud van Nistelrooy, this was as strong a team as Ferguson could pick. It was also a side that had felt its level of self-confidence rising, although this draw put an end to a run of four consecutive wins in the Premiership.’
Times:
‘Papa Bouba Diop could damage a brick wall just by leaning on it and, while he did not wreck Manchester United’s championship aspirations, he dealt them a stunning blow last night. Of the three title-chasing teams, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men could least of all afford to concede an 88th-minute equaliser as they did when the giant Senegal midfield player let fly with a cannonball shot past Roy Carroll.
‘To Ferguson’s huge frustration, it meant that there were no capital gains after two days of enthralling football at the top of the Barclays Premiership. Sunday’s draw between Arsenal and Chelsea had suited the United manager, but all his team’s hopes of closing the gap on their title rivals were ruined at Craven Cottage. Bouba Diop is a big friend of Patrick Vieira and, next time they meet, the Arsenal captain should be first to the bar.
‘The passing was slick as Ferguson persisted with the 4-2-3-1 formation that he stumbled upon in the victory away to Newcastle United. Ruud van Nistelrooy was absent with a sore calf but, although the Dutchman was missed by the end, Alan Smith seemed to be making the most of his chance.
‘Behind him, the trio of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs were bewildering Fulham with criss-crossing runs, while Roy Keane and Paul Scholes continued an effective partnership that spares the Irishman’s legs and allows the former England international to pull the strings from the heart of midfield.
‘It all became too much for a timid Fulham in the 15 minutes up to half-time. First, Keane hit the post with a powerful drive from just outside the area and, within two minutes, Edwin van der Sar’s other upright had been struck by Rooney.
‘The pressure was unrelenting and Fulham succumbed when Ronaldo tore away from two tackles out on the right wing. Smith’s first shot was blocked but, tenacious as ever, the striker recovered the ball in a sliding tackle on Sylvain Legwinski. He still had his back to goal and men to beat but, having brushed past Liam Rosenior’s challenge, he toe-poked the ball past Van der Sar.
‘Coleman said that United’s first-half performance had shown that they were almost back to their best but he also had seen more evidence to persuade him that Chelsea will retain their lead at the top of the Premiership. “I just think they believe that it is going to be their year,” he said. “They have a big, big squad and José Mourinho is rotating it well.”
‘When United took the field against Arsenal seven weeks ago, they were 11 points behind the champions. Although that gap was down to four last night, they are nine behind Chelsea and cannot afford more slips like this one.’
Telegraph:
‘Just when everything seemed to be flowing Manchester United's way down by the Thames, a tall Senegalese midfielder called Papa Bouba Diop sent a tidal wave of anxiety flooding through them.
‘Sitting comfortably on Alan Smith's first-half strike, United's hopes of a fifth consecutive Premiership victory was ruined by a Diop goal that reverberated around Craven Cottage just as his World Cup effort against France had so stirred up the 2002 World Cup. Diop's close friend, Arsenal's Patrick Vieira, will be delighted.
‘United will be livid that they wasted a chance to close more on Chelsea and Arsenal after the pair's Highbury draw on Sunday. They were so in control in the opening period but were unable to turn such superiority into anything more than Smith's well-taken goal.’