Saturday's derby victory over Manchester City showed the true value of a resurgent Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United.
The playmaker swept home United's opening goal, demonstrating his awareness by directing the offside Marcus Rashford to leave the ball for him to net the equaliser. That proved to be the game-defining passage of play and, potentially, a season-defining one for both clubs.
It was just the fourth goal of the season for Fernandes, whose role at Old Trafford has been tweaked under Erik ten Hag but is as instrumental as ever. The exit of Cristiano Ronaldo and the benching of Harry Maguire has seen Fernandes, a natural leader, instilled as United captain for most games this campaign.
