Man United: Fernandes was excellent today

Manchester United avoided a major scare to defeat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford, a result which moves them just eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Erik ten Hag’s men got off to a lightning start, with a VAR check giving them a penalty after a cross from Marcus Rashford hit the arm of Will Hughes. Bruno Fernandes slotted away the penalty to give the home side an early advantage.

Rashford continued his excellent form by scoring the second goal in the 62nd minute following a pinpoint cross by Luke Shaw, and it appeared to be a relatively easy afternoon for the Red Devils.

However, Casemiro was sent off in the 70th minute for handling Hughes around the neck, and this threatened to change the course of the match. Although Jeffrey Schlupp managed to pull a goal back, it wasn’t enough for Palace as United secured all three points.

Rashford was brilliant once again, taking seven shots during the afternoon and scoring what turned out to be the winner, but it was Fernandes who was Ten Hag’s star performer today.

The Portuguese midfielder has been in stunning form in 2022/23, with his Sofascore rating of 7.39/10 ranking him as United’s top performer this season, and he proved why this afternoon, his 8.00 Sofascore rating the best of any player on the pitch.

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He took 59 touches against Palace while making four key passes, showcasing his attacking intent as he sought to dictate the play while setting up plenty of chances for his team-mates.

Defensively, Fernandes was brilliant as he won four duels out of seven and made three clearances, four tackles and one interception. His maturity was evident as United went down to ten men, and he proved to Ten Hag that he can get stuck into the unsung off-the-ball work when the going gets tough.

This could have easily ended up as a draw after Casemiro was sent off, but it is a testament to how impressive a job Ten Hag has done at United that his side dug deep and secured a vital three points.

Could the Red Devils launch an unlikely title challenge? With Fernandes in this sort of form, anything seems possible.