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Manchester United produced a dominating display to pick up all three points with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United had a whopping 11 shots on target compared to the visitors’ one and could have won by a far more handsome margin but for Jordan Pickford’s heroics in the Everton goal.
One of the key architects of the dominant performance was Bruno Fernandes. In the absence of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, manager Erik ten Hag has been using the Portuguese as the deep-lying playmaker.
Bruno excels in new role
And he has excelled in his new-found role for the second game running. The Portugal international ran the show and he racked up a lot of firsts among his teammates.
Fernandes had a total of 117 touches of the ball, the most among any player out on the pitch while he completed 87 passes, again the most among any United player.
It was not just him hogging the ball as he perfectly executed passes all game long. With Everton playing a compact defensive line, the wingers had the option of running in behind.
Bruno Fernandes’ first half by numbers vs. Everton:
117 touches 🥇
87 passes completed 🥇
86% pass accuracy
32 final third passes 🥇
8 long balls completed 🥇
7 ball recoveries
6 key passes 🥇
2 clearances
2 shots on target
2 big chances created 🥇Loving this new role. 💫 pic.twitter.com/srfBavV6i0
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 8, 2023
The 28-year-old kept picking out the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony at will and he could have grabbed at least two assists if not for some profligate finishing.
He made a total of 32 final third passes while completing eight long balls, all of which were the most among his teammates.
His six key passes meant he once again ranked top in that metric while he could have had two goals for himself but for Pickford’s agility.
With United keeping most of the possession, he was usually the deepest of the three midfielders and it was the same against Brentford mid-week.
ETH new tactic worked a treat
Saturday’s performance was a more polished one as it seems he is slowly becoming more attuned to playing as the six when needed.
The United No 8 never once shirked his defensive duties as he made two clearances, seven ball recoveries and blocked one shot.
With Eriksen now back and Casemiro set for a return next week, Fernandes should revert back to his favourite No 10 role.
But Ten Hag has found an alternative to the duo with Fernandes sitting deep and this ploy can work against defensive-minded teams who come to Old Trafford.
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