Burnley boss Vincent Kompany was left to rue a goal from a ‘quality Premier League player’ during Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes inspired win at Turf Moor on Saturday night
After three successive defeats, and with Erik ten Hag’s side stumbling through a difficult first half in Lancashire, Bruno Fernandes’ stunning volley on the stroke of half time must have felt like a glass of cold iced water to ease an early morning hangover.
Sweeping away the cobwebs and turning those moans of consternation into sighs of relief.
Manchester United’s prancing Portuguese produced a more than passable impression of Robin van Persie as he fired a first-time volley into the far corner, the imperious Jonny Evans in the Wayne Rooney role with an inch perfect pass from deep.
Bruno Fernandes scores stunner as Man United beat Burnley
“It was a pass in behind and he finishes it first time,” Kompany sighs, via Burnley Express. “We work on a lot on these type of moments, so we’ll have to work some more on this. We’re unfortunate with the timing, definitely.
“We had good pressure throughout the game. We were never exposed. If you look at our first two or three games, I don’t think this one had that type of vibe, because we were solid when we had to defend and we were good when we had the ball.
“But that moment (Fernandes’ goal) is the quality of a Premier League player. I could say ‘this is what I would have done’, but they have to learn.”
A long-awaited win
That was Fernandes’ first goal from open play this season. His first since that match-winning penalty against Nottingham Forest back in August.
And while far from the most convincing display, there were certainly more positives than negatives for Ten Hag to take away; Rasmus Hojlund a nuisance up top, Casemiro thriving again alongside the young Hannibal Mejbri, and a 35-year-old Evans stepping up to guide an injury-stricken backline to a much-needed clean sheet.
Andre Onana, meanwhile, went some way to answering his own critics with a couple of decisive saves; exercising the ghosts of the Allianz Arena.