Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes stepped up with a crucial performance in a 4-2 victory over Sheffield United, rescuing his team just as manager Erik ten Hag faced increasing pressure.
Despite trailing twice, with Jayden Bogle and Ben Brereton Diaz finding the net for Sheffield United, Fernandes played a pivotal role in turning the tide.
He equalized from the penalty spot in the 61st minute after a foul on Harry Maguire, who had earlier scored United’s first equalizer.
Fernandes then showcased his skill with a powerful left-footed shot to put his team ahead before setting up Rasmus Højlund to secure the win against their determined opponents.
“At the end we came back. We put ourselves in a position where it’s tough to win games. But also it shows a bit of character,” the Portuguese midfielder said.
“We’re scoring lots of goals. It’s just about that compactness we need to have as a team.”
It was another far-from-convincing display from Ten Hag’s side although victory moved United into sixth place to keep them in the hunt for a European qualifying spot.
“Many positives today,” Ten Hag said. “The resilience to fight back after losing two times. But also there were negatives. We gave it away, it can’t happen, unacceptable, we have to learn from this.”
Time is nearly up for Sheffield United who have only 16 points from 34 games and could be relegated at the weekend.