Manchester United smashed league leaders Arsenal in an incredible match last night to move the team up to fifth in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag seems to have already found the starting eleven that works with him after going through multiple options during pre-season and the season’s opening games.
One player who was criticised over and over again last season was Bruno Fernandes, with many fans becoming concerned over the midfielder’s lack of goals and assists.
However, so far this season it feels like the Portuguese star is back to his former self under the new manager despite not playing in a free playmaking role.
It was clear to see the attacking midfielder was enjoying himself vs Arsenal after causing real problems for the defence and playing a pivotal role in Man United’s second goal to restore the lead.
A tweet from OptaJoe showcases stats of Premier League players who have assisted open play goals since his debut in February 2020.
23 – Bruno Fernandes has assisted 23 goals in open play in the Premier League, the most of any player in the competition since his debut (Feb 1 2020):
23 – Bruno Fernandes
22 – Kevin De Bruyne
22 – Mohamed Salah
21 – Harry Kane
18 – Gabriel JesusMoses. pic.twitter.com/FHQpbPgZqU
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 4, 2022
“23 – Bruno Fernandes has assisted 23 goals in open play in the Premier League, the most of any player in the competition since his debut (Feb 1 2020):”
Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah follow next with 22 goals with Harry Kane and Gabriel Jesus coming in with 21 and 18 respectively.
It’s clear to see that United’s main man is having a huge impact on this team and has been an important player since his debut.
Being the player to assist the most goals since his debut is also a great achievement considering the success of some of the other players in the league.
Although it has been a tough ride in recent months, performances are starting to improve especially since being handed the captaincy while Harry Maguire serves from the bench.
United fans will be hoping that the club’s trophy drought can be ended this season with a good enough squad to compete in cup competitions already in place.
