Kobbie Mainoo could become an unexpected beneficiary of a “very rare” moment for Manchester United amid their 2-1 win over Liverpool.
After a brilliant 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, Manchester United return to Old Trafford for a challenging clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Rúben Amorim’s campaign has been far from convincing, with defeats to sides like Brentford and Grimsby Town casting doubt over his long-term prospects at the club.
Still, the triumph at Anfield marked United’s second consecutive Premier League win — the first time Amorim has managed that feat — and their first success at Liverpool’s ground in nearly a decade, sparking a sense of renewed belief.
Brighton, though, have consistently been a difficult opponent for the Reds, and Amorim will be eager to settle the score after Fabian Hürzler’s side handed him a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford last season.
Fernandes produced “very rare” moment vs Liverpool
While many individuals, such as Matheus Cunha and Harry Maguire, had standout performances at Anfield, the general consensus remains that the victory was not United’s best performance of the season.
There was also a lot to be said about Bruno Fernandes. After a fantastic first-half, the United captain had a rather bizarre second-half, with the 31-year-old missing a number of challenges and pulling off some sloppy short passes – albeit then producing an outstanding assist for the winning goal.
More than anything, Fernandes looked like he was quickly tiring in the second half, which is “very rare” for the midfielder, and following Maguire’s winning goal, Amorim quickly rushed him off the field and replaced him with Kobbie Mainoo.
This has led some of United’s faithful to suggest that, with Fernandes having played four games in three weeks for his club and country, the United captain should be rested.
While dropping Fernandes may be an infathomal option at first glance, there could be some positive outcomes as a consequence that would likely benefit Amorim in the coming weeks.
Mainoo could be in line for first league start of the season
On the flip side, a lot of noise has been made about Mainoo’s lack of involvement in Premier League fixtures thus far this season, with the talented 20-year-old yet to start a fixture in the competition.
Amorim has admitted many times that Mainoo is in direct competition with Fernandes for a place in the midfield, and with the club captain almost undroppable, the Academy graduate requested to leave on loan in the final week of the summer window, although his ask was denied by the club.
Should Fernandes be dropped, the game against Brighton may be the best chance Amorim will get to so do. As the tie is at Old Trafford, United’s side will have the full backing of their home support and will likely want to be on the front-foot quickly, which would suit Mainoo’s game.
After Brighton, there is an away fixture against Nottingham Forest, who have just appointed Sean Dyche as their new manager, and the week after that is travelling to North London to face off against Tottenham Hotspur.
With Amorim withdrawing Fernandes against Liverpool and there being suggestions of a very rare rest against Brighton, Mainoo could become the beneficiary and be afforded his first league start of the season.
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