Manchester United got a much-needed 3-0 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium last Sunday, and of course Bruno Fernandes had to be involved.
Manchester United’s captain fantastic has hit new levels in recent weeks, really stepping up to carry Rúben Amorim’s team through a period of difficulty with a number of key contributions, as well as his undying workrate and influence across the pitch.
He assisted both Rasmus Højlund’s and Alejandro Garnacho’s strikes and scored one himself – an excellent first-time finish from outside the box – in another Player of the Match performance.
But there was one hidden moment of genius right before the finish, which most fans probably missed. Below, we break down a moment almost every fan watching missed before his strike.
The art of standing still
‘Movement’ is often spoken about for attacking players concerning their final third dynamics. From the attacking midfield position, Fernandes has always been able to find goal-scoring positions exceptionally well.
But for this goal in particular, it was by stopping and standing still that he created space and time for himself to be found by Diogo Dalot and sweep the ball into the bottom left corner.
Here, we see Fernandes’ genius footballing intelligence in full flow. Where many players would charge towards the box as their team surged forward, Fernandes scanned for information, recognised Chido Obi’s run and presence, and adjusted himself accordingly to find space, and it paid off.
Not a one-off example
This is not the first goal that Bruno Fernandes has scored this season where he recognises the run of the striker dragging defenders deeper and attacks the space left in front of the block.
Against Arsenal in the FA Cup, he scored a brilliant first-time hit from the edge of the box where he recognised the run of Højlund into the box, taking Arsenal’s defenders deeper and making space for him in front of their block.
Against Fulham too, he used the presence of Obi and Zirkzee in the box to attack a space near the top of the box and swept away a stunning left-footed finish.
Fernandes has been in some of the best form of his career since the turn of the year, consistently carrying United, and these details are key to some of the goals he is getting and showcase just how good he is as a footballer.
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