Bruno Fernandes trudged off Old Trafford not even being able to look at or acknowledge the fans that absolutely adore him, that’s how disappointed he was with himself after missing the penalty against Aston Villa.
But the character and determination to atone for his error should worry Villarreal because they could well be on the receiving end of a Bruno masterclass.
However, even on days where Fernandes misses from the spot, his influence on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will never waver, he still created 10 chances for his teammates against Villa.
Bruno Fernandes the creator
The beauty of having Fernandes in your side is that he has so many different ways of punishing teams.
Whether it’s goals, assists, penalties, free kicks, you name it, Fernandes usually delivers.
He can produce long raking passes, but he can also see a deft little pass which he can thread through the eye of the needle.
One area that Fernandes is currently excelling in better than anyone in Europe’s top five leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) according to FBref is through balls.
The football statistics site defines a through ball as a completed pass sent between back defenders into open space.
United’s number 18 has registered six through balls in the Premier League so far this season, which is one more than the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Bruno Guimaraes and Romelu Lukaku.
With United going through a testing period, having players like Fernandes who want to shoulder the responsibility of the team on his shoulders is advantageous.
When things get tough, Fernandes doesn’t go missing, in fact he wants to have more of an influence because he wants to lead his team from the front.
With United possessing the best through ball passer of the ball in Europe, it’s only a matter of time before Solskjaer’s team start dishing out some hidings to teams once again.
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