Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes reacts to scoring his 50th goal for the club against Brentford
Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Manchester Evening News) after his side’s 3-0 win against Brentford last night, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has reacted to his side’s victory and his 50th goal for the club.
The Portugal international opened the scoring against the Bees by firing home inside the opening ten minutes, thanks to some fine work down the right flank by Anthony Elanga. He also led the team out onto the pitch as captain, in the absence of Harry Maguire.
Reacting to a landmark goal in his United career, Fernandes said that he was happy he scored after a long time but was not focused on the numbers. He said he was looking to get more numbers in terms of trophies and not goals in the near future.
“It is a long time since I scored! Obviously I am happy, but those numbers don’t count for me. I want to get numbers with trophies and not with goals.”
The ex-Sporting CP star’s 50th goal was followed up with a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and a fine finish from Raphael Varane in the second half, as the Red Devils claimed three important points in the final home game of the season.
“We know our standard has not been the same”
After losing to Liverpool and Arsenal away in previous weeks and drawing 1-1 to Chelsea just a few days back, the win against Brentford comes as a welcome relief from a patch of poor performances and form for the Manchester side.
Fernandes acknowledged this as well, saying that the standard has not been the same. However, he drew attention to the fact that they were able to deliver a good result and a good performance in the last game of the season at home, with the focus now on the remaining matches in the campaign.
“Last game of the season at home, we wanted to give a good result and good performance. We know our standard has not been the same as we expect but last game of the season we finish well at home. Now we have more games to go so focus on those.”
He ended his long-standing goal drought in the best possible manner last night, opening the scoring and setting the tone for his side early on in the game. His last goal for the club came in February when he netted against Leeds United in a 4-2 win at Elland Road.
With two games remaining in the season, United will need Fernandes to pick up his socks and build on his display against the Bees. The chance to qualify for the Champions League next season seems unlikely given that the team are in sixth position in the Premier League table, but a strong finish to the campaign should be aimed for.
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The 27-year-old has been a revelation since joining the Red Devils in the winter transfer window of 2020 and has been their go-to man for goals and assists on the pitch. The arrival of Ronaldo last summer may have dented his impact slightly, but he still remains an important player for the team
Hopefully, he can add more goals to his tally in the next two matches and ensure that his team finish the campaign by qualifying for European football next term – whether that be the Champions League or Europa League.
