Bruno Fernandes returned to bad habits vs Crystal Palace after he made the same mistake 34 times for Man United

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Manchester United put on a dominant display against Crystal Palace but one of the worst performances came from captain Bruno Fernandes.

The Red Devils left the capital frustrated after being held to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park. Dean Henderson stole the headlines with an incredible goalkeeping display with the Manchester United academy graduate making seven saves.

Crystal Palace also had their chances and were denied by a brilliant double save from Andre Onana, but United ended the match more disappointed at the result.

It was a case of deja vu for United, who failed to take their chances in front of goal. They continue to lead the Premier League in big chances missed after another wasteful performance.

Fans did not hold back against Bruno Fernandes for his missed chances. The Portuguese playmaker, who is often one of the biggest goal threats on the pitch, is still yet to score this season.

Bruno Fernandes lost possession too much

Bruno Fernandes has been a chance-creating machine for United since his move in 2020 and he has continued that this season with four assists to his name already.

But one of the biggest frustrations around his game is the amount of times he loses the ball. Of course, in order to create chances he has to take risks, but sometimes he can tip the balance too far in one direction.

Bruno Fernandes loses the ball more per match than most in the Premier League, but with United trying to control matches and dominate possession this season, he had improved his ball retention significantly at the start of this season.

However, stats prove that he reverted to his old ways against Crystal Palace by losing possession 34 times.

Fernandes lost possession against Palace more times than any other United player on the pitch – by some margin, too.

Midfield partners Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo only lost the ball 17 and 10 times respectively, whereas Joshua Zirkzee lost it just three times while playing up front.

Fernandes is appreciated for his creativity on the ball but with United trying to sustain attacks and dominate games, it is a flaw he needs to work on.

Bruno Fernandes will bounce back

There’s no denying that Fernandes had a poor game against Palace, but it was hardly a disaster. He has been such a consistent performer for United and he will bounce back.

United need their captain to chip in with goals, and at the moment he is struggling to get off the mark. But the games are now coming thick and fast and it is only a matter of time until his name returns to the scoresheet.

READ MORE: Dean Henderson says one Man Utd player forced him to be ‘constantly on your toes’ in 0-0 draw

Ultimately, there were a lot of positives about United’s display against Crystal Palace and had the side been more clinical then Fernandes’ performance would hardly even be a talking point.

With back-to-back home games against Twente and Tottenham on the horizon, United must try and maintain the performance levels they showed against Palace. If they can, the goals will come.