Bruno Fernandes has scored 111 goals in 335 appearances for Manchester United, but his form has dipped sharply this season. Only seven weeks after he accepted the PFA Player of the Year award in Manchester, the captain’s numbers look far less impressive than they did during his remarkable finish to last season.
The Manchester United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the award, in recognition of his phenomenal contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish.
Fernandes scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
Over the final 11 games of last season, Fernandes either scored or created 12 of the 21 goals United netted. In the seven-game run that returned United to Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was a central figure in nine of the 12 goals.
Statistically, it was remarkable. It recalled Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United scored only once.
“It was a special season for me,” Fernandes told an appreciative audience. “I am very proud.
“But we don’t play tennis. We don’t play just for ourselves. We play for a team, we play for a club, we play for the fans. There is nothing more special than that.”
Those words carry particular weight now, because this season’s numbers tell a much less encouraging story.
A Slow Start to the Season
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all of them coming against Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains United’s only win so far.
Those figures are better than last season, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created none. However, he was playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred at that point.
This season is Fernandes’ second-highest for total shots, at an average of 3.3 per game. His best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target per game, however, is joint-second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation, at 2.5 per game, is the second lowest of his tenure and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Even more startling, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, a lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defense on August 30. Fernandes averaged one big chance per game last season.
Those numbers, along with his general involvement, help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games. It is their worst league start in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
But is Fernandes a cause of United’s malaise, or a symptom of it?
Fitness Questions and Carrick’s Response
There is uncertainty over the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match against Norway. National team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was “playing through pain.”
Fernandes was fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the extended break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 Champions League win over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see it as a problem as he prepares his side to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
“He was carrying something but that happens a lot,” Carrick said. “Players play with issues.
“It’s not ideal but it is manageable. Bruno is able to play. That is the commitment he has got.
“He is pretty much over it, was really bright in training this morning and is looking forward to the game.”
The Missing Pieces
Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, and veteran Brazilian Casemiro anchored United’s midfield.
Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for United from February 1 onward.
Beyond goals, the absence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being felt. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not argue that United’s current low running numbers are down to the 34-year-old’s summer departure for Inter Miami. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard, and they gave Fernandes the freedom to take risks, knowing United would not be overrun on transition if he lost the ball.
As for Sesko, a fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is being keenly felt, and there is no return date yet.
The club’s decision-makers ignored calls to bring in more striking support over the summer and instead reinforced Carrick’s midfield. A plan to cover Sesko’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull.
Matheus Cunha was given the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never found an effective way to deal with it.
For Fernandes, the setup feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be suffering. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes to complete a pass.
Carrick Backs His Captain
On Monday, ahead of the Champions League meeting with Atletico, Carrick said no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He added enough caveats, however, to suggest that leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.
United must improve, and that means Fernandes must improve with them.
“He’s a top player, Bruno,” Carrick said.
“Sometimes things don’t quite go for you. Sometimes you have a spell of that.
“But he’s done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there’s no doubt about that.”