Fantastic Fernandes helps Van Nistelrooy sign off in style as Man Utd hammer Leicester
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring against Leicester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
BRUNO Fernandes continued his and Manchester United’s resurgence under Ruud van Nistelrooy although sacked former manager Erik ten Hag has a right to wonder where this current form had been hiding.
The United captain made a point of revealing he apologised personally to ten Hag after the Dutchman was sacked late last month following a poor start to the season.
Now, Ruben Amorim comes in to take over the club on a permanent basis following a run of three wins and a draw under van Nistelrooy.
Fernandes took his goals tally to four in four under the caretaker, after failing to find the net in ten Hag’s final 17 games as manager, a run that dates back to April and which begs the question whether he might have been better placed scoring goals for the former manager, rather than issuing apologies.
Fernandes actually struck twice in the first half, although his second effort was eventually ruled an own goal by Leicester defender Victor Kristiansen.
There was no doubting the validity of the opener on 17 minutes, however, as the Portuguese playmaker took Noussair Mazraoui’s throw-in and cut in from the wing.
He played a neat one-two with Amad Diallo, the ball returned by the youngster via a clever back heel, and continued his journey into the Leicester area.
Then, just inside the visitors’ box, Fernandes sent a superb low strike into the bottom corner of Mads Hermansen’s goal although the Leicester keeper might have been disappointed at not stopping the effort.
Still, it was just the start van Nisterlooy was looking for on his final match as caretaker before Amorim’s arrival and better was to follow thanks, again, to Fernandes.
Mazraoui’s left-wing cross found his team mate six yards out, arriving ahead of Kristiansen and stopping to make contact with an attempted header. The ball bounced awkwardly off Fernandes’ thigh and took a deflection off the defender on its way into the goal.
But the scruffy manner of that goal did not matter to the home crowd who have responded to United’s improvements under van Nisterlooy. In the first nine league games of the season, under ten Hag, United led in games for a total of 86 minutes. In van Nistelrooy’s two in charge, they have been in front for 73.
It is that kind of improvement that Amorim is stepping into on Monday although there are still obvious frailties and Wilfred Ndidi should have equalised on 27 minutes but Andre Onana rushed out to block as the midfielder raced onto Facundo Buonanotte’s pass.
The impressive Diallo, who was not given many opportunities under ten Hag this season, might have added a third before the break but his powerful strike was straight at Hermansen.
After the restart, Jordan Ayew’s hard work almost paid off on 69 minutes when his shot was deflected inches wide and into the side-netting.
Leicester’s last four away games had all ended with 90th minute goals that altered the result of the matches.
But there never looked likely to be any such drama here and, on 82 minutes, Fernandes found substitute Alejandro Garnacho on a counter and the young winger curled in an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area.
Onana 7; Dalot 6 (Evans 57, 6), de Ligt 7, Martinez 7, Mazraoui 7; Casemiro 7 (Eriksen 78, 5), Ugarte 7; Diallo 7, Fernandes 8, Rashford 5 (Garnacho 57, 7); Hojlund 5 (Zirkzee 75, 5).
Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Heaton, Mount, Lindelof, Antony.
Hermansen 5; Justin 5 (McAteer 83), Faes 5, Vestergaard 5, Kristiansen 5; Winks 7; Buonanotte 6, Soumare 6, Ndidi 7 (El Khannouss 70, 5), Fatawu 5; Ayew 7 (Edouard 87).
Substitutes (not used) Coady, Choudhury, Mavididi, Okoli, Skipp, Ward.
P Bankes 7
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