Manchester United duo Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani in contention to win the 2020/21 Europa League Player of the Season gong
Both Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani gave it their all but were unable to drag Manchester United past the finish line last season.
The Red Devils made it all the way to the final of the Europa League and were heavy favourites to beat Villarreal in the showpiece event. Cavani scored on the night but was unable to repeat the trick as the Yellow Submarine prevailed on penalties.
While we may have ended up trophyless, one of the players could pick up the yearly gong. According to UEFA, Fernandes and Cavani are both among the three players shortlisted for the Europa League Player of the Season award.
Fernandes made nine appearances in the tournament, scoring five goals and assisting four. He averaged a goal or assist every 83 minutes and impressed in our home clashes against AC Milan and AS Roma. It is fair to say that he was the inspiration behind our run to the final.
If Fernandes was the inspiration, Cavani was the executor of his will. The Uruguayan played just five games, totalling 367 minutes. He was however prolific during that time and notched up an impressive six goals and three assists. This included four goals in the semifinals and one in the final. Had we won the tournament, it would be fair to assume Cavani was a shoo-in for the award.
While he certainly remains a favourite, Villarreal star Gerard Moreno could rain on his parade yet again. The Spaniard was the tournament’s top scorer and also found the net in the final. His goal contribution of one every 88 minutes does however pale in comparison to both United stars in the fray.
Personally, we feel Cavani is the deserving winner of the award despite his limited game time in the competition. Not only were his goals important but he also stepped up when the team needed him. While we may not have ended the competition as a winner, he is a worthy choice to be the standout player.
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The last United player to win the award was Paul Pogba in the 2016/17 season. The Frenchman was in contention this time as well but ended up in fourth spot, narrowly missing out on the final list.