If you were to ask Bruno Fernandes if he was happy with his goal and/or assist return this season, the Manchester United midfielder would probably tell you that he wasn't. By his own incredibly high standards, he hasn't found himself on the scoresheet nearly enough for Erik ten Hag's side this campaign, but that doesn't mean he isn't having a positive impact in other ways.
The 28-year-old, who has registered just two goals and one assist in 12 Premier League appearances this term, has been one of the more consistent performers under Ten Hag. He certainly hasn't impacted the game in front of goal as he has done in previous campaigns, but the midfielder has arguably become the player that the United boss needed him to be. He deserves credit for that.
While Fernandes is unlikely to match the goal contributions he recorded in the 2020/21 season - 28 goals and 17 assists - his current role in the Reds side is much more focused than it has been in recent years. He is, in many ways, getting fewer opportunities in front of goal, but that is allowing him to contribute in a different way - even if he doesn't get credited with a goal or even an assist.
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A statistic posted on social media by VisualGame showed that Fernandes is, basically, United's best build-up player so far this season - with the Portuguese star recording the best xBuildup by any Reds player in the Premier League. In simple terms, as summarised by the account, xBuildup shows which players are involved in team possessions that end up with a chance, but not involved in either the shot or the shot assist. Essentially, which player is most involved in build-up of successful team possessions.
In terms of coming up against each other clubs' best build-up player, Fernandes comes in behind Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Brighton & Hove Albion full-back Pervis Estupinan, Liverpool starlet Harvey Elliott and Manchester City ace Rodri. While City's players dominate the overall Premier League rankings, Fernandes appearing towards the top end of the aforementioned list shows that he is quietly going about his business.
United have won seven of their opening 13 Premier League matches this season, losing just four times - which includes the defeats to Brighton and Brentford at the start of the season. The progression under the Dutchman has been evident for all to see, but the importance of Fernandes was demonstrated by his absence in the defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.
With the 28-year-old suspended after being shown his fifth yellow card in the victory over West Ham United, Ten Hag opted to start Donny van de Beek in behind the striker against Villa. As he has done in the majority of his appearances for the Reds, the midfielder failed to impact the game.
Fernandes is expected to start for Portugal at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, and the United man - alongside teammate Cristiano Ronaldo - will be crucial if Fernando Santos' men are to enjoy a productive tournament. However, Ten Hag will be desperate for the former Sporting man to return to Old Trafford unscathed.
Although it is easy to look at how many goals Fernandes has scored this season, or how many assists he has provided for his teammates, it is also important to examine the overall impact he is having on the side. Granted, he is finding the back of the net less frequently than he has done before, but his ability to bring other players into the game is exactly how he can prove his worth.
If the Reds are going to achieve their aims this campaign, how often Fernandes gets on the scoresheet isn't going to matter that much. How often he is involved in United scoring - regardless of who gets the credit at the end of the match - will.
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