Michael Owen has compared the in-form Bruno Fernandes to one of his former Manchester United teammates ahead of the Liverpool match on Sunday afternoon.
Bruno Fernandes is tipped to play a starring role for Manchester United at Old Trafford for the Red Devils’ huge Premier League showdown with the Reds.
The 31-year-old Man Utd captain has picked up an impressive 11 assists in 13 Premier League matches under interim Red Devils head coach Michael Carrick.
Fernandes is only one assist short of moving level with Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry for their long-held Premier League assist record (at 20) for a single season.
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Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen thinks a Bruno Fernandes and Wayne Rooney comparison is realistic at Man Utd
Bruno Fernandes has netted eight times and registered 20 assists in 33 matches across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign at Old Trafford now.
Michael Carrick has been transformative for Fernandes’ season after moving the Portugal international to the No 10 role for Man Utd in the post-Ruben Amorim era.
Speaking ahead of the Liverpool match, Michael Owen insisted that he can see shades of Wayne Rooney’s influence on a squad in Fernandes’ key role for United.
“I think Bruno Fernandes is catching [Wayne Rooney] in many ways in terms of his influence on this team, and has been for some time,” he said on Premier League Productions, as per the Premier League’s official website.
“He’s just an incredible player, everything goes through him, goals, assists.”
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Why Michael Owen has been blown away by Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes ahead of the Liverpool match
Fernandes had struggled in the opening months of the 2025-26 season under former United manager Ruben Amorim before his fellow countryman was sacked in 2026.
The former Sporting CP midfielder’s turnaround in form since Amorim’s Man Utd exit has seen Fernandes tipped as a Premier League Player of the Season contender.
When discussing Fernandes at Old Trafford, Owen continued: “Even when Man Utd were playing really poorly, he was still the shining light, and that is not easy to do if everyone around you is struggling with confidence.
“His performances were brilliant when they were playing poorly as well. It’s brilliant. Man Utd have got to do everything they can to keep him for the long term.”
Man Utd and Liverpool’s Premier League clash is slated for a 3:30pm kick-off time in the UK on Sunday afternoon.
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