It is, apparently, not how you start but how you finish. Joshua Zirkzee started his Manchester United career with a telling finish that bodes well for the rest of it. He began his debut on the bench and ended it as the match-winner. Old Trafford may have a new goalscoring hero and if the evidence of their opening night was that Erik ten Hag’s side needed one, a newcomer obliged.

The United manager stands accused of signing too many of his fellow Dutchmen. For a £42m buy, however, it amounted to an ideal beginning, a veritable theatre of a dream debut. Even in helping Bologna qualify for the Champions League last season, Zirkzee was not prolific. Yet it only took 26 minutes for him to open his United account with a goal that showed he can be both finisher, but also much more than a penalty-box poacher.

Zirkzee had dropped deep to collect the ball, fed it wide to Casemiro and accelerated into the box. He stuck out a left leg to poke in Alejandro Garnacho’s cross. Two substitutes combined for an opening-day win that, for the first time in Ten Hag’s reign, sent United top of the league, albeit when 18 other sides are yet to play. Perhaps more pertinently, it illustrated a skill as a game-changer that the United manager demonstrated often in his first campaign in England but more intermittently thereafter.

Garnacho sparkled in his cameo, as he had in the Community Shield, and had United drawn, there would have been a case that he should have started. As it was, he ought to have scored a second in the 94th minute, Garnacho rolling a shot wide of the unguarded net after being set up by Marcus Rashford.

United have taken a gradual approach with Zirkzee: international commitments in Euro 2024, though he barely played, meant that he was late to link up with his new club and he was an unused substitute at Wembley last week. Yet with the injured Rasmus Hojlund watching on from the directors’ box, the Dane’s absence was felt in the first hour.

United’s desperation for a breakthrough took a comical turn when Harry Maguire was booked for diving and they had posed too little threat with their striker-less shape. Bruno Fernandes had at least strived valiantly to compensate for the lack of a centre forward, with Bernd Leno twice making terrific saves to deny him, but, while the goalkeeper also thwarted him, Mason Mount got into goalscoring positions too rarely. Ten Hag saw the shortcomings of his FA Cup final formation.

But he acted. He should have a stronger squad this season – certainly trading the invariably injured Anthony Martial for Zirkzee makes a difference – and he turned to his bench. Ten Hag’s four new signings were introduced to the Old Trafford crowd 15 minutes before kick-off and it contained an unwanted refrain: Leny Yoro was on crutches, already joining their injured contingent. Zirkzee and then Matthijs de Ligt debuted as substitutes but Noussair Mazraoui was the only one of the new recruits to start and he looked tidy on the ball at right-back, a station that handed Diogo Dalot the unenviable duty of trying to halt Adama Traore on United’s left.

As Fulham looked the more composed, Andre Onana was required to make a spectacular save to stop Kenny Tete from opening the scoring from long range. United played two deep-lying midfielders and two false nines, yet there were times when Fulham outnumbered them in the centre of the pitch. The debutant Emile Smith Rowe played his part: one direct dribble brought a booking for Mount in an encouraging start for the arrival from Arsenal. As Fulham sought a second win at Old Trafford in 2024, they showed an assurance in possession and an ambition when attacking. Even removing perhaps the most ferocious defensive midfielder in the division – with Joao Palhinha, the king of tackles, joining Bayern Munich – they acquitted themselves well and felt unfortunate to lose.

United nevertheless had two golden chances before Zirkzee was summoned. Twice Fernandes was sent clear on goal by Casemiro. Twice Leno came off his line sharply to save with his legs. The first was instant redemption for the goalkeeper whose attempts to play out from the back had backfired. Each illustrated the Brazilian’s capacity to play defence-splitting passes. He may be more of a constructive than a destructive midfielder these days.

But United looked more menacing after going to 4-2-3-1 and then by bringing on Scott McTominay. “He wants to play for Fulham,” chorused the visiting fans, aware Marco Silva has bid for the Scot. But McTominay showed a commitment to United and was a penalty-box presence, helping distract defenders, when Zirkzee scored. And for Ten Hag, who had said a key to improvement was to get better results against what he termed the “lower-class” teams, winning a fixture he lost last season amounted to the right kind of start.