Bruno Fernandes responded to stick from Aston Villa fans in the perfect fashion after notching the winning goal for Manchester United on Sunday.
The 28-year-old was on target in the 39th minute to seal a 1-0 win for United, who strengthened their grip on one of the coveted Champions League places. And it was an eventful afternoon for the Portuguese playmaker, who was quickly established as the proverbial pantomime villain by the travelling Aston Villa fans.
He was also involved in a brief flashpoint with his own teammate, Jadon Sancho, who appeared to hit out at the midfielder for "moaning". But nothing could wipe the smile off of Fernandes' face after he netted the 100th league goal his career at Old Trafford.
He made sure he celebrated in style - right in front of the travelling Aston Villa fans who had been giving him grief earlier in the afternoon. And he took another shot at the travelling faithful after the match.
Speaking to MUTV, Fernandes said of the jeering Villa fans: "They probably don't like to play against me... I would prefer them to come and support their players rather than focus on me."
After a difficult 2021/22 campaign, Fernandes has shown glimpses of the imperious form that helped him quickly establish himself as one of Manchester United's most influential players following his switch from Sporting Lisbon back in 2020.
The midfielder has now notched 10 goals and registered 14 assists in all competitions this term and has often deputised as club captain Harry Maguire, who has had to settle for a spot on the bench for the majority of the season.
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Fernandes' suitability for such a role has been questioned on more than one occasion this season - and he could come under scrutiny again in the aftermath of Sunday's result after his brief spat with Sancho during the first half of the match.
But Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag seemed to have no issues and praised Fernandes after the match. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Dutchman said: "A good three points but I think an impressive performance from Manchester United. We were magnificent on the ball, had good possession and pressed well.
"In the second half you want to go 2-0 ahead but we didn't so it's always going to be a tough finish. [Victor Lindelof] played brilliantly. He was totally in control in the area around [Ollie] Watkins. Bruno [Fernandes] had another great game. The plan was to play him from the right to make runs behind and he did that so well. I think our plan worked very well."
"We look from game to game and next we have Brighton so we need to work hard again. We need to show passion again and not worry about the table. We are totally in control [in the race for the top four], it's all about us and it's in our hands."
