Bruno Fernandes is having yet another prolific season in a red shirt so far, already reaching double digits for his combined goals and assists; however, this season, he has really begun to establish himself as a set-piece specialist.
Bruno Fernandes has impressed a lot recently, earning the Premier League’s ‘Player of the Matchweek’ award twice in the last three weeks.
Manchester United currently sit sixth in the league, but without set-pieces from Bruno, their season could look a whole lot different.
With multiple set-piece goals coming in draws and tight wins, the skipper’s deliveries have been able to bail his team out of bad situations all season.
Bruno discusses his set-piece success
Whether it is him going for goal, or seeking out a player in the box, his corners and free-kicks have been consistently brilliant and absolutely paramount to his team’s success this season. In a recent interview, Bruno gave some insight as to why he has improved so much in this area of the game.
“To be honest, my set-pieces have been much more accurate this season, I think that’s why the chances created have increased a lot,” the United captain told Rio Ferdinand.
“The movement in the box from the players has also been helping me, the place where we’re putting the ball has been working well. For every game we have a different plan and it’s been working well.”
Six of Fernandes’ seven assists this season have come from set-pieces, with free kicks such as the two against Crystal Palace, and corners like the Matthijs de Ligt equaliser against Spurs.
He mentions that it is down to the players moving much better for him, but the direct free kick against Bournemouth was pure Bruno genius, making him very much worthy of all the plaudits he has been getting this season.
United are currently top of the league for set-piece goals, two goals ahead of Arsenal, who have been well-known this season for their corner tactics, yet again alluding to the 31-year-old’s brilliance.
How important is Fernandes for United?
It is almost a unanimous thought amongst the United fanbase that Bruno Fernandes is the best player to play for the club in the ‘Post Fergie Era’, but is he still that player?
Ruben Amorim has struggled to fit in all of his best players this season, with the whole attack having a complete renovation in the summer, seeing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all come into the club, Fernandes has been pushed back into the midfield two.
However, the Portuguese has still managed to keep his numbers up, despite being in a much deeper role than last season. Five goals and seven assists in just 17 matches, and with a lack of goals from both Cunha and Sesko, Bruno has proven that he can still be trusted when his team needs him.
He has started every game in the Premier League this season and has only been on the bench for the game against Grimsby Town, which ended in a disastrous defeat in a game that, on paper, was an easy win for the Red Devils. Fernandes is, without doubt, still one of Man United’s most important players.
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