Bruno Fernandes broke yet another Premier League record during Manchester United’s 2-0 victory against Man City on the weekend.
Manchester United put in a commanding display at Old Trafford, as Michael Carrick’s side recorded a 2-0 Premier League win over Manchester City.
United were sharp from the outset, pressing City high and creating early openings. Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire both threatened in the opening exchanges, with Maguire striking the bar.
Amad and Bruno Fernandes saw efforts ruled out for offside before half-time in a dominant first-half performance. United continued to push after the interval, with Casemiro denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma and Mbeumo also failing to convert.
Mbeumo broke the deadlock on 65 minutes with a composed finish, before Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu sealed the points ten minutes later, finishing from a Matheus Cunha assist.
Fernandes hitting creative records once again
Fernandes, sitting back in his prime role as a creative attacking midfielder, pulling the strings, was the bona fide main reason United were able to carve City apart the way they did.
According to Sky Sports, the Portuguese international made history on Saturday afternoon by becoming the first-ever player to create four big chances against Pep Guardiola’s City side.
Further to this, Fernandes is the only player to have created four big chances in a single Premier League game this season, having now done it twice – recording four big chances in a 4-1 win over Wolves in December.
Three of the last four times a player has created four big chances in one Premier League tie has come at the feet of Fernandes. He also brought up 600 chances created in the Premier League, 168 more than next-best Kevin de Bruyne since his debut in the competition.
Amorim’s handling of Fernandes made him destined to fail
For the most part of Rúben Amorim’s tenure at United, the former head coach had Fernandes sitting further back in midfield alongside Casemiro – something that angered many.
Fernandes has been back in an attacking role for the Reds for the three games since Amorim was fired, and his statistical record-breaking against City just goes to show how Amorim was utterly destined to fail at Old Trafford.
Former Red Gary Neville recently commented that he has never seen a manager make football as complicated as Amorim did, and the 40-year-old’s numerous baffling decisions, such as Fernandes playing such a deep role, show proof in the pudding.
United are chasing Champions League spots for the rest of the season, and if Fernandes can stay fit and continue to orchestrate United’s attacking line, then Carrick’s Reds could have a stunning end to the campaign in a way that Amorim would never have been able to produce.
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