Manchester United bounced back from a disappointing 2-1 away defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon to beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Old Trafford.
It looked like this would be a tough test for Michael Carrick’s Red Devils, who suffered defeat on their trip to St James’ Park.
But the hosts remain confident and give it their all, holding a three-point lead over the fifth-placed Villains and continuing to look like the favorites to finish inside the coveted top four.
There’s a good reason why Bruno Fernandes remains one of the first names on Carrick’s team sheet, and with another goal and an assist on Sunday, he continues to reaffirm his status as one of United’s greatest players of the modern era.
Fernandes’ sublime performance against Villa
Incredibly, the smooth playmaker bagged a further two assists against Villa on Sunday, taking his assist tally to an astonishing century for United’s red team.
It was Fernandes’ trademark move as he provided the game-changing assist for United’s second goal of the game. He cut through the opposition defense with ease, and Matheus Cunha thankfully slotted past Emiliano Martinez to restore the Red Devils’ lead.
With six important passes amassed during the action-packed match, it is clear that the 31-year-old is one of the best players in the division, if not the best that England’s top flight has to offer.
In fact, his 16 assists in a season is the most a United player has been able to get since the glory days of midfielder David Beckham, who set an impressive 15 assists for Theater of Dreams. He is also currently four assists shy of Thierry Henry’s season record of 20 assists.
What’s more, he’s eight assists ahead of players like Rayan Cherki in the league’s overall assist rankings, and each game makes it clearer how untouchable he is when he’s at full flow.
Fernandes, 31, will no doubt continue to age like fine wine as Carrick’s main attacking spark, but he’s not the only one in red proving why he’s one of the league’s best players.
Manchester United star proves he’s one of the best players
Much has been made about United having to shell out big bucks in the off-season to win new defensive midfield options, with signing Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forest potentially costing suitors as much as £100m.
But until that point comes when we need to spend that exorbitant amount of money, we should enjoy Casemiro’s midfield comeback to the last moment at the Theater of Dreams. Once upon a time, he was seen as a jaded performer destined to leave on bad terms.
Now, the voices inside Old Trafford are calling for the former Real Madrid player to stay on for another year, as his contract with United ends at the end of the season.
Casemiro’s opening game with Emery and others means he has now scored seven goals this season in the Premier League. The aforementioned Andersson has contributed only four goals in the league, while Declan Rice, who is considered the best player to anchor Casemiro, has scored even fewer goals at home with four.
He was also an exemplary performer perfecting the painstaking basics in the midfield ranks, winning five duels and ensuring Villa did not make a late comeback.
Casemiro’s outstanding figures against Villa | |
|---|---|
status | Casemiro |
Play time (minutes) | 89 |
Number of points | 1 |
assist | 0 |
exact path | 31/39 (79%) |
key pass | 1 |
Total number of duels won | 5/12 |
touch | 57 |
Then again, Anderson, described as “world class” by Statman Dave, is not head and shoulders above the Brazilian, who had exactly the same number of wins in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham.
Casemiro is certainly seen as more of a game-changer at the moment, with the 34-year-old veteran currently emerging as one of the standout performers in the league at his position next to the equally experienced and classy Fernandes.
At one stage it looked like he was going to walk out of Old Trafford on a whimper.
Now, with a new sense of life flowing through Casemiro’s veins, he is looking to seize a prestigious top-four spot as a parting gift.
Forget Anderson: Manchester United have already signed the ‘beast’ to replace Casemiro
He could give the Red Devils an immediate solution.
