Bruno Fernandes stepped forward after Manchester United’s heavy 3-0 defeat to rivals Manchester City and offered a frank breakdown of why his team came up short at the Etihad Stadium.
From the opening whistle, Pep Guardiola’s men looked in complete control. United were undone early when Phil Foden was left completely unmarked and headed home the opener. Erling Haaland then added two more to put the contest beyond doubt, with the Norwegian striker profiting from defensive lapses. His second goal came after Luke Shaw made a costly error, allowing Haaland acres of space to burst through United’s half and punish them clinically. Earlier, United had already been given a warning sign when a poor pass from Manuel Ugarte placed Matthijs de Ligt under unnecessary pressure, gifting City an easy chance that Haaland surprisingly squandered.
United’s captain, Fernandes, was deployed in a deeper midfield role alongside Ugarte, which limited his usual attacking influence. Struggling to make a real impact in the final third, the Portuguese playmaker found it difficult to drag his team back into the contest. The result has only intensified the pressure on manager Ruben Amorim, who has yet to secure consecutive league victories since replacing Erik ten Hag in December.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Fernandes admitted his side were punished for mistakes that could easily have been avoided. “What we did today was not enough to win. The key in football is simple – you must score goals and avoid conceding them. We keep creating chances but we don’t finish them, and then we gift goals that we should be able to prevent,” he explained.
When questioned about City’s dominance in midfield, Fernandes rejected the suggestion that United were numerically outmatched. Instead, he stressed the importance of his defenders stepping up with aggression. “If the back line doesn’t press forward, then midfielders end up outnumbered. That’s why we stopped Arsenal last week – we closed down space effectively. Against City, if you’re not brave enough to push up, they’ll always find a way to play through you.”
Despite the heavy scoreline, Fernandes was keen to stress that there were still encouraging aspects to United’s performance. He noted that the team had been bold in possession and tried to play progressively but admitted the lack of precision in front of goal made all the difference. “We wanted the same thing City wanted – three points. The only difference was that they finished their chances and we didn’t,” he concluded.
United now face increasing questions about their consistency, and with Amorim under scrutiny, Fernandes’ words highlighted both the flaws and the potential within his side.
