Wayne Rooney put the boot into City’s title hopes – a blue one at that.
One thump of the United hitman’s odd and ironic selection of footwear colour kept up his red hot streak and put the champions in charge of the destiny of the league crown.
Now he’s homing in on the Premier League’s golden boot as well with 21 league goals this season and 29 in all to date from 36 appearances.
You’d have thought on nights such as this Rooney would have been crashing through the 30-goal barrier and a few others would have been joining in.
But they let City off the hook in terms of the goal difference advantage as they struggled to find their killer touch in an edgy display.
There was a pre-match air about Old Trafford that the stadium sensed another big significant moment in the title race was brewing.
Were it a European night under the lights then maybe there would have been some apprehension but not on a Premier League occasion.
The Reds might not be too keen on Thursday night football but any other day or evening is fine by them.
City’s weekend dropped points at Stoke offered the carrot to the champions of opening up their biggest lead at the head of the table over the Blues all season.
Fulham have not pulled up any trees this term and arrived in Manchester on the back of two successive defeats.
Arguably not since Blackburn Rovers turned up on New Years’ Eve were the bookies offering such long odds on the Reds opponents to pull off the mother of all shocks.
Of course, we all know what happened back then on Fergie’s birthday.
But no doubt any City fan who dared voluntarily put themselves through the torture of viewing this would have been peeping through their fingers.
Back when Blackburn stunned Old Trafford United had comprehensively overwhelmed Fulham at Craven Cottage 5-0.
But the Reds were still a different and vulnerable animal at that mid-point of the campaign.
Now they’re generally fearless and fearsome.
However, the Reds had to overcome what appeared to be a period of self-doubt when their initial tempo failed to bear fruit and Fulham, who’d looked hunted and haunted, began to find their feet and make things uncomfortable.
Manchester United 1-0 Fulham: Player ratings – Young and Valencia the star men for the Reds Very quickly United became tentative and their few efforts on goal were weak with a Ryan Giggs header from the penalty spot and a Danny Welbeck shot carrying no weight.
An acrobatic Patrice Evra scissor kick almost crept in by the post but United’s recent goal power had seemingly gone powder puff.
Fulham tested David de Gea a few times to hint at the prospect they might have an upset in them but the Spaniard wasn’t in the mood for generosity.
Just when it looked like United might have a blank first half to crank up the tension they made the breakthrough.
Rather than mope about the injustice in not getting a penalty when Evra’s cross struck full back Stephen Kelly’s arm, they got back into the Londoner’s ribs.
A deep 42nd minute Ashley Young cross evaded Hangeland’s head and surprised Riise and the ball ran onto Jonny Evans.
Having opened the scoring at Wolves, his first ever for United, the Irishman decided not to have a pop and instead laid the ball back for Rooney to slam home.
The timing could not have been more perfect as the Old Trafford support were just about beginning to lose some patience as United failed to make serious in-roads.
Had the stalemate gone into the second half the nail-biting would have increased with every passing minute.
Having softened Fulham up, albeit much later than anyone anticipated it would take, the task now was to surely eat into City’s goal difference superiority.
Rooney’s strike had reduced it to three and having trounced the visitors at the Cottage then a similar scoreline you wouldn’t have thought was beyond the Reds.
With the security of Fulham seemingly discarding their teeth after their early first half baring of the gnashers, United had carte blanche to attack.
But an Antonio Valencia thunderbolt and a Young low curler both failed to beat keeper Mark Schwarzer as the Reds themselves lost their 2012 goal bite.
Instead of being ferocious the Reds went distinctly flat.
United emerged briefly from their slumber when the ever dangerous Valencia’s cross was met with a ferocious volley by Young.
Schwarzer saved and the Australian number one also kept out the winger’s follow up effort.
Fulham showed enough late enterprise to ensure that what could have been a stroll turned into a customary stressful finale.
There was a justifiable late Fulham shout for a penalty when sub Danny Murphy burst into the box and had his left foot taken away from him by Michael Carrick.
Old Trafford held its breath wondering if their arch scouse enemy, a one-time Liverpool pain in the neck for the Reds, was going to get the award but United survived the appeal.
It was a roar of relief rather than celebration that filled the stadium when referee Michael Oliver finally blew for time.
