Bruno Fernandes has opened up on a Manchester United issue he finds “difficult to understand” following the club’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Manchester United signed off the 2024/25 season with a confident 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on a bright Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford.
The Reds started on the front foot, with Mason Mount twice denied by Emi Martínez in the early stages. Rúben Amorim’s side looked lively and created a host of early chances but couldn’t apply the finishing touch — a familiar theme throughout the campaign.
Just before the break, the match tilted in United’s favour when Martínez was sent off for a reckless challenge on Rasmus Højlund, leaving Villa down to ten men.
United continued to dominate after the interval, with Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and Højlund all going close. Morgan Rogers briefly thought he’d opened the scoring for Villa, but his goal was ruled out after a foul on Altay Bayındır.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 75th minute as Amad rose to meet a brilliant Fernandes cross and nodded United ahead. With time running out, Christian Eriksen marked his final Old Trafford appearance with a composed penalty to wrap up a well-earned win and end the season on a high.
Fernandes complained to Casemiro about United’s inconsistency
While the performance against Villa was one to be proud of in isolation, it laid bare United’s biggest on-field issue. The players put in a fantastic display just days after a shocking runout against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
Speaking with TNT Sports after the win, Fernandes admitted that he finds United’s inconsistency on the pitch “difficult to understand,” having spoken with fellow Red Casemiro about the issue.
“This was exactly what I was telling to Case at the end of the game,” Fernandes explained. “I was like, this is what frustrates me the most, that we can perform like this against one of the most consistent teams in the league this season.
“There has been Aston Villa, it’s a very difficult team to play against, very well organised, very good players on the ball. And then you can pin them back, play, create chances, don’t give any chances away.
“It’s difficult to understand that we can’t do this through the season, but obviously I understand that the pressure of playing for this club is massive. And today we had a lot of freedom to play for, to go to the game and just enjoy it.
“We knew that we wanted to give something back, something different, show the fans that we want this so much to be better, to be more successful and everything.
“But obviously, as we said, we want this belief to keep going to the next season. And as the manager ended up saying, the bright days are coming.”
United will become a consistent team with better players
There has been a lot of conversation surrounding whether Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation is a system that will be able to succeed in the Premier League regardless of the expected signings this summer, but the display against Villa proves it is an idea that can work.
Too many times, United’s performances have been let down by individual lapses in judgment from key players such as André Onana, Højlund, and others. Still, when United’s players play at their best, it’s a set-up that can create plenty of chances.
United are expected to bring in multiple new forwards this summer. At the same time, a new midfielder is also a priority. Depending on sales, a new goalkeeper and additions to the defensive line may also be on the cards.
Once United have locked down those such as Matheus Cunha and others as fresh signings within the squad and get a full pre-season under their belts, Amorim’s men will be able to come out swinging in the 2025/26 campaign.
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