Bruno Fernandes played a central role as Manchester United secured a point in a challenging 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday evening.
Man United failed to settle into a rhythm against Chelsea in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s second appearance as interim manager.
The home team found it difficult to establish themselves in the middle, only obtaining 46% of the ball and having several passes intercepted by the tenacious defense of the visitors.
Even while United’s defense remained generally stable, save for occasional periods of inattention, and their midfield did occasionally find some stability, the attack mostly fell short of expectations, and the team’s problems scoring goals continued.
Still, United managed to find the net once, courtesy of their captain.
Hojlund was brought down in the box by the Chelsea keeper, earning United a spot kick. Trusty penalty expert Fernandes sauntered up to the spot, sending the goalkeeper diving the wrong way as drove his penalty into the bottom left corner of the net.
Even though he deserved credit for his well-struck penalty, Fernandes’ shooting was largely substandard. He got one shot on target and one blocked shot, while two of his efforts were off the mark.
One of Fernandes’ biggest errors came in second-half stoppage time when he fluffed a close-range shot that could have been the winner just seconds before the final whistle.
He completed his only dribble of the match while respectably winning nine of his 14 ground duels.
Aerial duels were not Fernandes’ strong point, as he won just one of three. His short passing was also not at its best as he managed just a 67% accuracy, with only 30 of his 45 passes finding their target.
None of his three long balls reached their mark, while only one of his seven crosses was accurate.
Although accuracy was not his strong point, Fernandes made four key passes, proving to be an essential link in United’s build-up play.
Fernandes was relentless when it came to supporting his defenders as the visitors attacked.
He performed a whopping seven defensive actions, including four tackles, two clearances, and one interception.
While Fernandes was not at his best in terms of passing accuracy and shooting, he put in a valiant effort in what was a difficult fixture for which he deserves credit.
Despite his turbulent season to date, Fernandes has never let up when it comes to putting in effort, showing up when his team needs him most and proving why he is such an essential part of this United squad.
