Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon sparked renewed optimism that Ruben Amorim is the man to take the club forward.
Such a performance gave the Red Devils their second consecutive Premier League win, which they had not achieved since May 2024 under former manager Erik ten Hag.
Dating back to the end of August, the team had won four of their last six games, proving a great job by the manager despite the parties involved in his future at Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old also appears to have support in the hierarchy, particularly after Sir Jim Ratcliffe insisted he wanted to give the former Sporting CP manager a three-year term.
However, Amorim may have a number of players to thank for the club’s recent turnaround in form, and the pair are undoubtedly one of the bright lights of the 2025/26 season.
The fundamental statistics behind Bruno and Mbeumo’s success in 2025/26
Despite a dismal 2024/25 season, Bruno Fernandes managed to achieve incredible figures for United, as seen in his 37 combined goals and assists, and the midfielder continues his form in the new season.
He currently sits at the top of the Red Devils’ chance creation charts with 2.8 per 90. This is a much higher number than any other player on the team.
The 31-year-old has also completed the most passes of any player, further underscoring his ability to provide endless opportunities for others, despite operating in a deeper role following the arrival of one player this summer.
Bruno had to play as a number eight to accommodate new signing Brian Mbeumo, but the Cameroonian has revealed why the club paid a whopping £71 million for his contract.
The 26-year-old has already made an immediate impact, achieving the best on-target accuracy of any player in the squad and contributing to his current top scorer status.
He has created as many big chances as Bruno in the Premier League, underscoring his all-round quality in attacking areas, which was sorely lacking in 2024/25.
United star on track to become Amorim’s best player
Mbeumo and Bruno have both scored three goals and provided an assist, making them the most prolific of any player in the United squad.
Due to their efforts in front of goal and the aforementioned underlying statistics, the pair became some of the first names on Amorim’s team sheet.
The two have played key roles in the recent managerial resurgence and could continue to play that role for the foreseeable future, potentially leading to even greater levels of success in the coming years.
However, the aforementioned pair may not be the only ones playing important roles under Amorim, with Amad Diallo perhaps being one of the most important players at the moment.
Prior to his arrival at Old Trafford, the Ivorian had little impact under Ten Hag and often had to rely on time off the bench to have the desired effect.
He has since become a consistent starter over the past 12 months, but has also done so in a somewhat unfamiliar role to help fit into the 40-year-old’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system.
The 23-year-old has recently occupied the RWB position, joining the Red Devils in the winter of 2021 as a right-winger, a slightly deeper role than previously.
But Amado came to life like a duck to water and made it his own, going on to produce a number of impressive numbers in 2025/26.
Although he has played in all but one league game so far and only contributed one goal, it is his fundamental statistics that have firmly established him among the fan base.
Amad Diallo – PL statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | 7 |
goals and assists | 1 |
Pass accuracy | 93% |
Major passes taken | 1.4 |
Dribbling completed | 1.2 |
The tackle I made | 1.9 |
The ball was collected | 4.1 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 2 |
Statistics by SofaScore | |
The Ivorian, described by one analyst as “world class”, recorded 1.4 key passes per 90 and a pass completion rate of 93%, and subsequently demonstrated his ability to create important chances for those around him.
Amad also completed 1.2 dribbles per 90 in the Premier League, allowing him to move into dangerous areas before handing off a killer pass to one of his team-mates.
But his new role has given him more defensive responsibilities, and he’s doing well, as evidenced by his 1.9 tackles and 4.1 ball recoveries per 90.
As a result of performances like this, Amado quickly becomes one of the director’s key performers, showing that he can be trusted to operate in somewhat unnatural positions.
If he continues on this trajectory, the youngster could be a key member of the first team for years to come and help Bruno and Mbeumo in their quest to succeed in the final third.
