Bruno Fernandes runs the show and becomes Manchester United’s top scorer | OneFootball

Manchester United came back from a goal down twice to ultimately see off Premier League’s bottom-dwellers Sheffield United 4-2 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Erik ten Hag’s team came out with a vastly different approach against the Blades, choosing to hold on to the ball instead of their usual high-transition system.

Whether this was necessitated by Jason Wilcox’s instructions and whether this style will continue remains to be seen but there were certain promising signs.

United held on to the ball much better, ending the game with a ball possession rate of 72 percent while also passing the ball 722 times.

New style, same old Bruno

The game was run by Bruno Fernandes, who ended the game with two goals and one assist. He scored the hosts’ second equaliser from the spot before unleashing a thunderbolt with his left foot to hand the lead to the Red Devils.

Fernandes now has 15 goals and 11 assists this term, the highest in the squad and more than the likes of highly-praised stars like Martin Odegaard and Kevin de Bruyne. Despite a poor season for the club, he keeps delivering the goods!

The Portuguese had 108 touches of the ball, completing 64 passes, 31 of which were in the final third, the most among all his teammates.

He made nine key passes, again a team-leading matric. No player has managed more in a single game this season (stats via Sofascore). He also got a full 10 from the site for his display on the night.

He also created two big chances and he should have had a lot more assists if not for some profligate finishing from Alejandro Garnacho and some fine goalkeeping from Wes Foderingham.

The club captain also completed five crosses, and eight long balls, the most among United players and also had five shots, one of which was blocked.

Star of the show

Fernandes has never been one to shirk his defensive responsibilities and it was on full display again at Old Trafford, as the 29-year-old made two tackles and one clearance.

The Portugal international did not always have to hit long and hope for the best in this new approach, which suited him as he roamed all across the pitch to try and find space and get on the ball.

With the Blades happy to sit deep, it allowed the former Sporting Lisbon star to enjoy one of his best games for the club this season.

With 19th-placed Burnley set for a visit to the Theatre of Dreams next, the 20-time English league champions should continue in the same manner and pick up all three points to ease the pressure on their beleaguered manager.

Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.