Saturday's derby victory over Manchester City showed the true value of a resurgent Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United.
The playmaker swept home United's opening goal, demonstrating his awareness by directing the offside Marcus Rashford to leave the ball for him to net the equaliser. That proved to be the game-defining passage of play and, potentially, a season-defining one for both clubs.
It was just the fourth goal of the season for Fernandes, whose role at Old Trafford has been tweaked under Erik ten Hag but is as instrumental as ever. The exit of Cristiano Ronaldo and the benching of Harry Maguire has seen Fernandes, a natural leader, instilled as United captain for most games this campaign.
Marcus Rashford's goal-scoring form has understandably stolen the headlines while United's defensive discipline has provided the building blocks for United to win nine successive games in all competitions, but the dressing room's new-found togetherness and self-belief is personified by Fernandes.
Just as with Rashford, Fernandes' best form appears to have come on either side of Ronaldo's ill-fated return to Old Trafford. In his first 50 Premier League appearances for United, Fernandes scored 29 goals and provided 20 assists – amounting to 49 direct goal involvements in 50 appearances, a stunning return.
The following 34 games, which came in the 2021/22 campaign following Ronaldo's signing, brought just 12 direct goal involvements (seven goals, five assists) – averaging out at just over one every three games. In other words, a drop off of 67 per cent. United dropped from a second-placed finish to a league ending that was a whopping 11 points off the top five.
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While Fernandes has scored just three goals this season, his role is less in direct goal involvements, which is misleading; he is now involved in deeper build-up play that is more prolonged and patience, Erik ten Hag's approach is less direct than under the styles of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and subsequently, Ralf Rangnick.
United's play now is more focused on involving wide forwards in goal involvements, and encouraging players to get behind the opposition back-line before playing the ball across the box for a central player – usually Rashford – to capitalise. This was exemplified in United's second goal against City, when Alejandro Garnacho was played in down the left flank, beat the City defender before cutting the ball back for Rashford to bag the winner.
In 2020, months after joining the club from Sporting Club Portugal, Fernandes shocked his United teammates with the results he returned in training. It came in May, in the midst of the Covid lockdown and restrictions, when players had to train individually at home.
Despite not being renowned for his acceleration, the Portuguese midfielder ranked among the fastest players at the club, clocking up a top speed of 34.27kmh based on sprints over 5.5 metres, while confined to home.
This training commitment sums up the attitude and commitment of the playmaker – who scored twice and provided three assists during an impressive four World Cup appearances with Portugal – has brought to Old Trafford, which is now being returned in an upturn of performances both individually and collectively.
