Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov agrees with Rúben Amorim’s verdict on one United star after their 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Manchester United earned their second Premier League victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford, thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
The home side began on the front foot and gained a huge advantage inside five minutes when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was shown a red card for bringing down Bryan Mbeumo on the edge of the area.
Fernandes soon broke the deadlock, marking his 100th goal for the club, before Casemiro extended the lead with a powerful header. However, the Brazilian’s evening ended on a sour note as he was dismissed shortly before half-time.
Benjamin Šeško was withdrawn for Manuel Ugarte as Chelsea reshaped for the 10 v 10 battle, but their breakthrough only came in the final minutes when Trevoh Chalobah headed in from Reece James’ cross. Despite late pressure, United’s defence held firm and secured all three points on a rainy Manchester evening.
Amorim and Berbatov heap praise on Fernandes
Speaking on Premier League Productions, United legend Dimitar Berbatov heaped praise on Fernandes, explaining what he brings to this United side.
He said: “I think he’s the most creative player in the team. He knows how to pass, how to create. Sometimes, if you stop the cross, you will stop the goal. Sometimes it’s not that easy, but it’s a great goal from Bruno.”
He seemingly echoed Rúben Amorim‘s thoughts about the 31-year-old midfielder, singling him out in his post-match press conference, while also delivering a cheeky dig at those who criticised him playing the Portuguese star in the deeper midfield role.
“He has a great spirit, he is our captain, and he scored a goal playing as a midfielder, so I am really happy about that!” said Amorim.
“People don’t have good things to say about our team, so I am just joking around! I have nothing to say to the critics, and most of the time, they are right. Today, we won, and it is a good day for us.”
Amorim needs to build on this result
Just a week removed from their brutal 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Manchester City in the derby, it was critical that United bounced back from the defeat and showed what they’re capable of doing against the top sides.
Before this victory, United had picked up just 31 points from 31 games under Amorim’s management, fewer than any other team to feature in both last season and this one.
The win over Chelsea means Amorim has now won back-to-back home games for the first time since he took over in November of last year, and this now has to be a turning point for United.
The club have two favourable fixtures ahead of them, hosting Brentford on the 27th of September, before heading to the Stadium of Light on the 4th of October to face Sunderland before the international break.
With a trip to Anfield looming after the break is over, United must go into that fixture with some momentum on their side if they stand any chance of upsetting the current league leaders.
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