Bruno Fernandes was pivotal in Manchester United’s comeback win against Crystal Palace, and has been labelled as one of the players of the season by Gary Lineker.
Michael Carrick’s bright beginning at Manchester United showed no signs of slowing as his team overturned a first-half deficit to beat Crystal Palace, claiming a sixth win in their last seven outings.
The visitors controlled much of the opening period and made their dominance count when Maxence Lacroix powered home an early header, giving Palace a deserved advantage at the interval.
United looked revitalised after the restart and were handed a lifeline when Matheus Cunha was brought down inside the area by Lacroix. The defender was dismissed for the challenge, and Bruno Fernandes stepped up to convert the resulting penalty with composure.
Fernandes then turned provider, whipping in an inviting delivery that Benjamin Šeško expertly dispatched to complete the comeback and move United up to third in the table.
Next up is a demanding away clash with Newcastle United on Wednesday, where United will look to end a winless run at the venue stretching back to October 2020.
Gary Lineker on Fernandes’ stellar season
Having been restored back to the No.10 position where he has thrived since joining from Sporting, Fernandes looks back to his best, being pivotal in United’s upturn in form under Carrick, scoring twice and assisting five times in seven games.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker highlighted Fernandes’ performances as a No.10, naming him as one of the players of the season.
“It sounds really simple. Of course, a player who can play No.10 can go everywhere, but if you look at other players’ performances when they’re trying to get on the ball, they’re just trying to get on the ball in between the lines. There’s no space there.
“But Bruno just goes everywhere, where he can get half a yard to put in a great delivery.
“He’s an outstanding player, one of the players of the season so far.”
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Man Utd can’t afford to let Fernandes leave
Manchester United are due for a major midfield revamp this summer, with Casemiro confirmed to be leaving, and the future of Manuel Ugarte up in the air.
Al-Hilal reportedly submitted a bid of around £100 million for the Portuguese midfielder last season, with rumours surrounding a potential exit this summer continuing.
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Fernandes’ contract reportedly includes a £56 million release clause for clubs outside of England, but the 31-year-old has displayed that he is one of, if not the best, creative midfielders across Europe, and must do everything they can to convince him to stay, with his contract set to expire in June 2027.
While United may find it the right time to cash in on the midfielder, who is not getting any younger, to help fund their midfield rebuild, the Portuguese maestro is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and a decision to sell the midfielder could be one the club come to regret.
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