Bruno Fernandes drives resilience amid United's adversity

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim believes the club's struggles could be eased if they had more players like Bruno Fernandes in their ranks.

The captain was instrumental in United’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford, showcasing his leadership and impact on the game.

The Portuguese midfielder gave United the lead with a signature free-kick just before halftime, and he came agonisingly close to a late winner, only for Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to recover brilliantly and clear his goal-bound effort off the line.

Fernandes’ performance was a rare highlight in what has been a difficult campaign for the team.

The 1-1 draw leaves United in 14th place in the Premier League - a sobering reminder of how far the club has fallen. Yet with Fernandes at the heart of their efforts, there remains a sense of resilience in the face of adversity.

While former United captain Roy Keane recently criticised Fernandes during his appearance on The Overlap podcast, Amorim has no doubts about the midfielder’s value to the team.

"We need more Brunos, that is clear," he said.

"It's not just the quality and the character. He makes some mistakes but he is so decisive with and without the ball.

"He steps up all the time. He can show some frustration in some moments that can hurt him more than everyone. I understand that. He wants to win.

"But he is always available, can play in different positions and when we need a goal and an assist he is always there."

Fernandes’ influence goes beyond scoring. In a struggling United side currently sitting 14th in the table, he has been involved in 14 league goals - more than any of his teammates. By comparison, Marcus Rashford’s five goal involvements underline the lack of contributions from others in the squad.

Since joining United in February 2020, Fernandes has directly contributed to 109 goals in all competitions, a figure bettered only by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (177) and Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (124) in the Premier League during the same period.