Manchester United played out a 2-2 draw against Tottenham at the weekend, and were left feeling like it should have been more.
The game was a missed opportunity to make a statement in front of a watching Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who said he won’t be there for every single match.
After the game Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou named three players he had been particularly wary of, including Bruno Fernandes along with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
But unlike last season’s home game against Tottenham, Bruno Fernandes struggled to make a telling impact.
Bruno Fernandes criticised
Bruno Fernandes is the Premier League’s most consistent chance creator, however, against Tottenham, he only made one key pass.
It was an unusually quiet display from the Portugal midfielder, playing in his first Premier League game of 2023.
His underwhelming day was noted by Paul Merson, speaking to Sky Sports, who questioned the team’s tactics.
Mersons said: “I hardly heard Bruno Fernandes’ name but he’s their best player. He should be on the ball all of the time.
“Why can’t United find solutions to get him the ball?”
Fernandes numbers
Fernandes was only able to complete 23 passes in total against Tottenham from 38 attempts, a worryingly low 61 per cent pass completion rate.
He touched the ball 60 times in total, working hard off the ball, winning four out of four tackles, the joint highest of all players on the pitch.
Fernandes leads the team for goal contributions this season with 11, a figure matched only by Marcus Rashford.
The midfielder’s numbers against Tottenham were below average, and for this, you probably have to give the away side some credit too.
Fernandes is one of the players who needs this upcoming winter break, and United will be looking for him to return strong and refreshed in a fortnight’s time.
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