Manchester United already know they have a reliable goalscorer in Bryan Mbeumo, but he’s now starting to do something they only expected of Bruno Fernandes.
Bryan Mbeumo is Man Utd’s top scorer in the league this season as he added to his tally with a smartly taken goal against Man City.
Even beyond his goal, Mbeumo was a nightmare to deal with for City due to his constant runs behind the last line of the defence.
The votes are in and Bruno Fernandes is our Man Of The Match vs City
An absolute class act!
The game summed up something that is starting to emerge, which is that Mbeumo is now doing something they expected only from Bruno Fernandes consistently.
Bryan Mbeumo showing Bruno Fernandes-like trait
Any suggestions and theories that United might actually be a better team without Bruno Fernandes rushing the play were soon out the window when he was injured.
The difference he makes to the team is immense, and when Michael Carrick unleashed him in his best position against City, he showed again what he’s made of.
Nobody who watches United regularly should doubt it anymore, but it’s clear that Fernandes has another level to his game, which unlocks when the lights are the brightest.
He’s a big-game player who relishes the scrutiny, and that’s something that couldn’t always be said for his teammates, who blew hot and cold.
Not Bryan Mbeumo, though, after scoring against City. Of his seven league goals this season so far, three have come against City, Liverpool, and Tottenham, with a fourth coming to kill the game when Brighton were threatening a comeback at Old Trafford in the league fixture.
Add that to Mbeumo winning the penalty and getting Chelsea down to ten men immediately after the start earlier this season, which resulted in a 2-1 win.
It’s becoming a pattern similar to Fernandes that even when United have their backs against the wall, playing in a big game, Mbeumo will make the decisive difference.
Fernandes needed more help and it’s finally coming
Fernandes has caught a lot of flak for often cutting a frustrated figure, but if your effort, quality, and desire weren’t matched by any of your teammates, you’d be frustrated too.
Bruno Fernandes cut City apart – now he needs to do it against Arsenal next weekend!
He was extremely unlucky to have a goal ruled out of his own
Mbeumo’s ability to come up with the goods even when he’s struggling to impact the game is reminiscent of Fernandes, who can conjure a moment of magic out of nothing to decide the game.
Alongside the likes of Matheus Cunha and Amad, Fernandes finally has his running mates who don’t just help him by taking off his creative burden, but finish off the chances he creates regularly.
Having a big-game mentality is something that is extremely difficult to cultivate, especially if you haven’t played in many before.
Mbeumo is showing that he always had it. He just needed a bigger stage to prove it. For him, pressure is a privilege.
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