Manchester United clinched a late thriller in the Premier League against Burnley 3-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.
This was the Red Devils’ first win of the season, and hopefully, the team can now kick on from this result.
Even though it took a last-minute penalty to get past the newly-promoted side, there were a lot of positives to take from the game.
Notably, the attacking performance in the first 45 minutes, and the unique set-piece routines, which caught the Clarets off-guard every time.
Bruno clinical from the spot
The fact that Bruno Fernandes stepped up to win the game from the spot after his miss last week against Fulham will also have pleased Ruben Amorim, who seems safe in his job for now, heading into the international break.
The club captain was indefatigable throughout, from putting in last-ditch tackles to zooming forward at will.
There were questions marks raised about his impact from deep, but the Portugal international answered them in style on Saturday.
He had 104 touches of the ball, and completed the most passes in the game (66). He kept things ticking over, and instead of his usual Hollywood balls, the maestro kept things nice and simple, which allowed United to dominate in the first half.
And his creativity was certainly not dulled due to him being played in a deeper role. The 30-year-old created six chances, the most among his teammates, and had four shots, with the only one on target proving to be the winner.
Amazing with and without the ball
He had three touches in the opposition box, while making 14 passes into the final third. Three of his crosses found their mark, while the midfielder also found a teammate from eight long balls.
And as expected, the Portuguese superstar was a monster out of possession. He made a total of 15 defensive contributions, which included one tackle, four clearances, and eight ball recoveries (all stats via fotmob).
Amorim will be hoping his compatriot can continue this run of form after the international break, with huge games against Manchester City and Chelsea coming up.
With Matheus Cunha injured, Bruno Fernandes might even get the chance to play as an attacking midfielder again. That might give him the chance to stamp his authority further.
Feature image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
