If Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes can keep saving their best for Thursday nights, the 14th best team in the Premier League might somehow stumble into next season’s Champions League.
Thursday evening’s win over Real Sociedad was Man United‘s best performance under Ruben Amorim. They have had better results – like at Manchester City and Liverpool – but they have not played better than that.
Not only did they look competent for once, but there were some standout individual performances, not least from captain fantastic Bruno Fernandes.
There was not a single bad performance, actually. Ayden Heaven did very well considering it was the first start of his senior career, Diogo Dalot was decent and got a late goal to make it 4-1, Joshua Zirkzee is getting better every week and Patrick Dorgu was certainly in amongst it.
Dorgu has had an indifferent start to life after joining for £25million in January, getting sent off in only his third Premier League appearance to miss Fulham win an FA Cup tie at Old Trafford before a 1-1 draw against Arsenal.
He might turn out to be one of the most entertaining players in the Premier League because that was not only a fantastic performance from left-wing-back, but just pure, beautiful, unadulterated chaos. A very interesting performance from the referee did facilitate this.
The man in black, Benoit Bastien, is addicted to giving penalties. He lives for it. He might be on commission. Having given 12 spot-kicks in 21 fixtures this season, he was in his element here.
The Frenchman awarded a penalty in the eighth, 14th, 48th and 84th minutes in Man United’s 4-1 Europa League win over Real Sociedad – who were also reduced to ten men in the 63rd minute. Jon Aramburu brought down Dorgu 50 yards from goal as last man and Bastien had no hesitation in telling him to grab an early bath.
The first penalty was scored by Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal as everyone anticipated another One Of Those Nights for Amorim’s Red Devils. They were given a penalty six minutes later for an identical foul and Fernandes scored his first of three, the last of which actually came from open play!
Dorgu – thriving in the chaos – won a questionable penalty three minutes into the second half but the foul he won in the box six minutes from time was a step too far for VAR, who finally told the referee to rein it in.
Having been denied a hat-trick of penalties on a night he set a new record for most penalties scored in the Europa League twice already, Fernandes was upset and decided to complete his hat-trick with a beautiful goal three minutes from time. Diogo Dalot even had time to make it four.
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As touched on, Dorgu had an evening to remember and Zirkzee deserves so much credit for how he has bounced back and overcome some extremely testing moments in his early months at the club.
He was jeered off ten weeks ago half an hour into a loss at home to Newcastle United but instead of crawling into a hole and hiding, he has grown in confidence. Importantly, he has also grown into his role under Amorim, linking midfield to attack with some very tidy touches, through balls and hold-up play. It was his through ball that led to Aramburu’s red card.
His performance on Thursday was very good but it was all about United’s hero, saviour, captain and entire football club really: Bruno Fernandes.
He was just so f**king good. He was perfect in everything he did. His positioning off the ball, defensive contribution, the goals, leadership, playmaking… it was a joy to watch and everything Amorim wants and needs from his captain.
There were some initial concerns over Fernandes’ role in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation and whether or not it would ever enable him to play at a world-class level but those doubts have been alleviated by some standout performances in the middle of the park next.
When Bruno plays like that, United have a chance against anyone. Yes, there are some handy sides in this season’s Europa League but there are not too many better than Sociedad. This bodes well for a team potentially on the brink of finishing in the bottom six of the Premier League and qualifying for the Champions League in the same season.
Winning the FA Cup saved the Red Devils’ season – and Erik ten Hag’s job – last year. Winning the Europa League would do more than that; it would get them into Europe’s premier competition, which as everyone knows attracts better players and brings in a very significant amount of money.
Not only that, but in a period of transition under new ownership and first-team management, it could help skip a few phases in the Jim Reaper process.
There is a long way to go and Lyon in the quarters will be difficult, but Bruno Fernandes is the best player in the competition and clearly capable of winning matches on his own. Despite solid performances from Dorgu, Zirkzee, Casemiro and others, the difference was ultimately the Portuguese and his ability to put it right in the f**king goal hole.
That end product has kept the season alive and winning the Europa League is a very real possibility. It is going to be hilarious when they lose against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City after Liverpool win a major trophy on Sunday, isn’t it?
Doesn’t matter, mate. Everything else is irrelevant and recording their worst-ever finish in the Premier League won’t matter when Bruno Fernandes FC are in the Champions League next season.
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